Carl Terrell Mitchell , (born Novermber 27, 1973) better known by his stage name Twista, is an American hip-hop emcee who once held the title of fastest emcee in the world, according to the Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 11.2 syllables per second. His 2004 album Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart after the success of his number-one Billboard Hot 100 single "Slow Jamz."
Mitchell grew up on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, known as "K-Town", a place he described as rampant with gang-related violence. He was the oldest of four children in a low-income family with a strict mother and drug-addicted stepfather. To support his family, Mitchell began working at an early age. He also found the hip hop culture to be an escape from the violent environment he felt in his neighborhood.
