Khalid Shams was born one of 6 children of former body building Egyptian champion Mohammed Shams and computer science & avid oil painting artist Magda Shams. His father is of Egyptian descent as well as his Egypt native mother of Egypt and Turkish ancestry. Khalid did not speak English fluently until about 10 years old. Although he was born in Des Moines, Iowa he has resided in many places including Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Cairo, and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. His experiences living in different places have allowed him to relate to many people and produce music for a wide range of audiences. Khalid began his career behind the camera in 2011 as a Hip-Hop lyrical & performing artist taking center stage with the group known as Prophesy (Powerful Revolution of People Helping Each-Other Succeed Y? Because we had to).