Collins was born on May 11, 1997[6] in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Hackensack, New Jersey.[7][8] She is the daughter of rapper and media mogul Benzino, and has five brothers. Leray's parents divorced after her father left The Source.[9] She started making music at age 14.[10] In 2011, inspired by her father, she started rapping and released her first songs under the name Coi Leray—"Bow Down", with her brother Taj, and "Rock Back"—via YouTube.[11][12] However, both Leray and her brother 