Chahrour was born and raised in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to an Algerian father and a part-Mexican mother.

[1][2][3] He played in guitar in rock bands and had a strong presence in the local rap community, working the likes of producer E. Dan and rapper Wiz Khalifa.

He opened many local shows for artists such as Nelly, Jurassic 5, Usher, Nas, The Roots, Ja Rule and 50 Cent.

Chahrour met with rapper and Def Jam Recordings CEO Jay-Z, and was offered a five-album deal with the label.

Chahrour had come up with the name Pittsburgh Slim four years earlier, based on a line from Jay-Z's song, "So Ghetto" from Vol.