Ayer was born in Champaign, Illinois, on January 18, 1968, and grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Bethesda, Maryland, where he was kicked out of his house by his parents as a teenager. Ayer lived with his cousin in Los Angeles, California, where his experiences in South Central Los Angeles became the inspiration for many of his films.
Ayer's early life experiences, including being kicked out of his family home and living in a different environment, heavily influenced his filmmaking career. His time in South Central Los Angeles provided inspiration for many of his films.