Born Marie Antoinette Wright, she is of African American descent. She became involved in the arts as a child in Boston, Massachusetts. She attended the Roxbury Center for Performing Arts for 11 years and traveled and toured as part of a young dance troupe. Inspired by hometown group New Edition, she was part of a few groups in Boston performing and winning talent shows, while honing her singing and rap skills. One of her biggest breaks in her dancing career was performing in the 1991 rap music video "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.