I whanau a Ali i te tau 1974, i Oakland, California, tama a Phillip Gilmore (1956<unk>1994) me Willicia Goines (b.1957). I whakaarahia ia hei Karaitiana i Hayward, California e tona whaea, he minita Baptist kua whakaritea. Ko tana papa he kaiwhakaari i puta i Broadway. Ko Maher-shalal-hash-baz te ingoa o te tamaiti poropiti i te pene 8 o te Paipera Paipera o Ihaia. I haere ia ki te St. Mary's College of California (SMC) i Moraga, California, i reira ka puta ia i te 1996 me te tohu i roto i te whakawhitiwhiti korero. I uru ia ki te SMC me te karahipi poitūkohu ka haere i te ingoa Hershal Gilmore i a ia e takaro ana mo te Gaels. I whakapohehe ia i te whakaaro o te mahi hakinakina na te mea i tukuna ki nga kaitakaro o ia ra o te kapa, me te aro nui ki te mahi i roto i a Hayward, California e tona whaea, he minita Baptist.
Ko Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore