Cole was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and then shortly after moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he was raised by his mother. He is of mixed-race, being born to a Black father and a White mother. Cole attended Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, and graduated in 2003. He decided that he had a better chance of getting signed in New York City, so he used college as a way to get there. He attended St. John's University on an academic scholarship where he majored in communication and minored in business, graduating magna cum laude.