Afemata was born in Long Beach, California[3][4] and grew up in nearby Compton with six siblings in a Samoan American family.
[5] As a child, Afemata became interested in reggae music after seeing his sister play the Bob Marley song "Jamming" on the piano.
[6] Afemata first sang for an audience at age nine when his mother had him and his sister sing the Whitney Houston song "One Moment in Time" at a family reunion.
[8] While in high school, Afemata began listening to hip hop and the ska punk band Sublime.
[8] After graduating from high school, Afemata worked at an oil refinery near Los Angeles and sang at nightclubs outside of his regular job.