While growing up in Victorville, California, Napoleon learned how to dance by traveling to Los Angeles and spending time with b-boys; he was eventually cast as an extra in the movie "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo" in 1984. After graduating from Apple Valley High School, Napoleon joined the US military and was sent to Germany. After he was discharged from the military, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he majored in molecular biology. In college, Napoleon started taking jazz dance and modern dance classes. He eventually received a full scholarship as a member of the university's dance team.