Nathan "Nate1" Tan was born in England and then immigrated to San Francisco as a child. A self-taught artist, he became a local graffiti legend in San Francisco and Daly City while a teenager. After earning a degree in graphic design at San Francisco State University, he worked professionally before starting a kids' hip hop clothing line called New Skool in 2003. Still based in San Francisco, Tan teaches graffiti and mural arts in addition to running New Skool and producing fine art.