Qadry Rahmadan Ismail was born on November 8, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Ibrahim and Fat'ma Ismail. In 1985, he moved to his grandmother Laura Bauknight's home in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he attended Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School. There, Ismail and his older brother Raghib, were named the inaugural recipients of the Martin Luther King Youth Leadership Award given by the local chapter of the NAACP of Northeast Pennsylvania. In addition to playing high school football, Ismail also ran track.