John Paul ‘Cali Smoov’ Misquez grew up in Los Angeles and spent part of his youth in Chicago. He obtained notoriety through his work in the world of Hip-Hop and became a renowned battle rapper. Success didn’t always come easy for him...for a portion of his childhood, Smoov was in and out of foster care and group homes, often having to defend himself. By the age of 11 he began his journey into poetry and music, even starting to perform around the country. Throughout his teenage and young adult years, Smoov fell victim to bad influences in his environment and began heavily engaging in “street” activity. After many years of this, he changed his life and became committed to using his voice and musical talents to inspire his community & at-risk youth who come from similar backgrounds as his own.