Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton, California, by a Black Panther–supporting mother and a police officer father. To stay out of trouble, he spent his summers in Corsicana, Texas, where he was schooled on the art of barbecue and worked long, hot hours on the pits at his granny’s legendary BBQ stand. In 2008, Kevin opened his own Bludso’s BBQ, a small walk-up stand in the heart of Compton that has led to multiple locations in California, Texas, and even Australia.