“I was born in Los Angeles, but shortly after my birth, my folks moved to the Inland Empire to a small town called Redlands, California. It was here where I did all of my school attending private/charter school until high school. It was the lamest thing ever. I was always one of maybe 3 black kids in a classroom growing up, and everyone else in that town had no idea about the rich culture found in the arts as a profession. I always say I lived a double life.”