Bryan and Paul Johnson are brothers born and raised in the Pinelake Village Cooperative housing units in Ann Arbor Michigan. They credit most of their life lessons to their neighborhood, which at the time was a low income African American community that, despite the obvious influences of drugs was a supportive and positive place to grow up. As “80s Babies” they became early fans of hip-hop. As teens they dreamed of becoming rap stars and formed the rap group, “5A2” (pronounced “Five ‘A’ Square”) which was later renamed “Lakwater” (Pronounced “Lake Water) in the late 1990s. They signed with an independent local record label and their group was featured in the November 1998 edition of Spice Magazine alongside well-known artists like Missy Elliott and DMX.