Director Joseph Kahn was raised in the suburbs of Houston, Texas where his parents moved in the calculation of enrolling him in the area's prestigious medical schools.

However, the young Kahn quickly degenerated into a comic book junkie, television/movie addict, and overall pop culture sponge.  Derailing any hopes of a proper job, he began his directing career in his teens, shooting skateboarding videos of his friends while working as a popcorn concessionaire, grocery store auditor (can counter), and hotel front desk clerk to help fund these projects.  He eventually enrolled at NYU where after a year and a half into school, he dropped out to embrace the emerging market of hip hop videos.

Within two years Kahn executed dozens of low budget videos where he served as a one man army, acting as his own cinematographer, editor, and production designer. During this time, he developed his self taught filmmaking skills that would launch him to the forefront of a new generation of emerging directors.