Mos Def and his 11 siblings were raised by their teen parents in a rough part of Brooklyn in the middle of the crack-infested 80’s. If that wasn’t enough to worry about, Mos Def’s small stature and geeky personality made him the target of bullying, so to stay out of trouble’s way he found refuge in acting, music, and the arts. Soon he was getting into top acting schools and flown to LA for TV shows, but the multi-talented child star was growing up quick, and set off to become a rapper.