Born and raised in Alexandria VA, Big Pooh started rapping at age 13. It wasn't until meeting future group members Phonte and 9th Wonder at North Carolina Central University in 1998, however, that he committed himself to cultivating his craft. Big Pooh draws from a wide variety of musical influences, ranging from Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, EPMD, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest and Nas, to Radiohead, Beck, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was in these early freestyle sessions in Phonte's dorm room that Little Brother was formed