Dontae Hawkins was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. The eldest son of Lamont Hawkins; who is also known as U-God, one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Dontae is a survivor of a gun violence incident that altered his life in 1994 at the age of 2, this never changed his drive to overcome extreme challenges at such a young age. The persistence to defeat these obstacles showed through Dontae's dedication of never giving up while enduring several surgeries and years of physical therapy to learn to walk again. Dontae pushed forward and wasted no time pursuing music and film directing. His positive attitude helped him achieve his goal and graduated with a BA in Film Studies from Long Island University. Withstanding the hardships put in Dontae's path gives his life meaning and a purpose to be successful, not only trailblazing behind the camera but as an actor in front of the lens.