Born George Murdoch on February 21, 1973, in Boston, Massachusetts, Tyrus’s life began in turmoil. The son of teenage parents, he faced an unstable home life in Los Angeles. After suffering abuse from his father, Tyrus’s mother fled with him and his brother. However, their mixed-race heritage led to rejection by extended family, forcing the siblings into foster care.
Tyrus, feeling lost and unwelcome, once became “obsessed” with changing his skin color, believing it would reunite his fractured family. Despite this pain, his mother worked tirelessly to support him, though the family’s constant moves made stability elusive.