Markuann Smith

From a very young age, Markuann Smith knew that failure was not an option, and always used that as his motto. Born in Harlem, New York, Markuann spent a majority of his time in Queens, attending Far Rockaway High School and, later on, Garden State Academy. Considered a "no man's land", Far Rockaway was certainly a learning experience. While the average kid was going away to camp, Markuann and his peers were pouring out liquor and hoping to survive the tough summers.

While the streets were rough, his household did not offer much of an escape. Markuann's mother worked three jobs to maintain their lifestyle, so in a sense he raised himself. His resentment caused him to rebel and he bumped heads with his stepfather quite often. Because of these actions, Markuann's mother kicked him out of the house at a very young age, forcing him to mature faster than he anticipated.

While it seemed that all hope was lost, reprieve presented itself at the perfect time. While in high school, Markuann's brother, Father M.C., got a record deal with Uptown MCA records - one of the most popular Hip Hop and R&B labels of the early 1990s - at the start of the New Jack Swing era. He began touring - taking Markuann with him - exposing Markuann to the likes of Tupac, Toni Tony Tone, Digital Underground and Boyz II Men to name a few.