Edwin Freeman was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in nearby Queens, New York. As a youngster he received numerous awards and commendations for art and had one of his drawings displayed in the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing, Queens, New York. In 1988 Edwin won a citywide art contest for Fire Safety held by the New York Fire Department and was awarded by Mayor Ed Koch on April 13th in a well publicized ceremony. Edwin grew up playing sports and while in Junior High School, had a short stint with the neighborhood youth football team, which was cut short due to an injury. In 1992 Edwin began a rap career under his nickname Billy-D, which was given to him by his friends, because of his smooth laid back demeanor and charming personality. He recorded three independent albums, All About the Money (1999), Take it to the Bank (2001) and Crunk Muzik (2005). In September of 2005 he had a chance to relive his dreams as a football player when he was cast for a role as a football player in Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe."