Smoove was born in Plymouth, North Carolina, to parents Elizabeth and Floyd Brooks. From the time he was three years old, he grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He spent a significant amount of time with his mother and extended maternal family in the Plymouth area, which he has said inspired much of his pursuit of comedy and comedy style. In Mount Vernon, he grew up in the Levister Towers housing projects with his two younger brothers. Smoove's father died from diabetes when Smoove was 15 years old.
In 1983, Smoove graduated from Mount Vernon High School. He attended Norfolk State University in Virginia, studying engineering and graphic design.
Smoove worked as a perfume formulator and sold fire extinguishers door-to-door.

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