Cincinnati, Ohio-based rapper Cal Scruby was born in 1989 and grew up in a small Ohio town, slowly developing a love for hip-hop. In 2011, after spending time as a student at Ohio State University, Scruby began making his own music, honing a style that featured sharp freestyling skills and songs frequently centered around themes of pop culture or his collegiate lifestyle. He self-produced his first single, "Best Foot Forward," in a library at OSU and later went on to post a series of a cappella freestyle videos he entitled "Scruby Snacks." He signed with Riveting Entertainment in 2014 and the next year released his debut album, House in the Hills, with the label. The album's lead single, "Ain't Shit Change," featured a cameo from Chris Brown and received massive worldwide attention. Scruby toured throughout the next two years and released his Long Story Short EP in 2017.