Wagner was born to 18-year-old Yvonne and 20-year-old William "Coal Bucket" Wagner in Marion, Virginia on July 25, 1971. Wagner's parents divorced in 1976 when he was five years old. Wagner and his younger sister, Chasity, spent the following ten years living variously with combinations of their parents, their stepparents, and their grandparents in the general Marion area. During this time, Wagner and his family often relied on food stamps. Wagner described a typical breakfast as a "few crackers with peanut butter and a glass of water."