Bernarr was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was raised an only child by his mother, a professional music teacher and vocal coach, and his father, an audio engineer who worked with artists like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Jill Scott, and Whitney Houston. At 16, Bernarr accompanied his father on tour for Earth, Wind & Fire as a production assistant. He attended church where his mother was the music director and his interest in music was further nurtured by the gospel music he heard there. He cites Erykah Badu, Rick James and Little Richard as his biggest influences.
