I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. My neighborhoods were rough but not fully destitute. Nevertheless, I was influenced by gangs and bad activity. I started hustling at a young age that ended up landing me in prison twice. On my last prison term I was in a riot that made me realize I had to make a serious change. And so I did. In my book Rabbit in the Jungle it discusses multiple areas where I had close calls, learning opportunities, and stories of my transformation.