Londell Copeland was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1978. He grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn - the child of a single mother. With little parental guidance, he spent much of his childhood socializing in the environment of the streets, where an outlaw morality prevailed. Often a discipline problem at school, Copeland lived in several group homes. He eventually ran into trouble with the law, squandering several years in prison. Upon release, Copeland opted to turn his anguished life around; marrying a childhood sweetheart, returning to school and participating in job training programs. At the time of the interview in 2010, he was a proud father living in Starrett City - an apartment complex in eastern Brooklyn - with his wife and son.