Rockwell Knuckles

Corey Barnett was born on the north-side of St. Louis, Missouri. He went to high school at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. It was there, where Barnett earned his stage name. After being bullied at a bus stop, he punched the guy in the mouth. After a friend commented that he had 'rocky knuckles,' he started to go by that name. But then a lot of rappers in St. Louis started having names that end in y. So he thought: "What do I do? I rock. I rock well: Rockwell Knuckles." After high school, Rockwell Knuckles enrolled at Harris-Stowe State University, but soon dropped out and joined a group of seven St. Louis rappers who called themselves Pangea. By 2003, the group had split and Rockwell moved to Los Angeles to record a project with a production team called the Art Thugs. In July 2004, his house caught fire and he lost all of his possessions, prompting him to start over on his own and launch his solo career.