Gryffin was born in San Francisco, California and is of
Japanese descent. Gryffin grew up as a classically trained pianist and learned to play the guitar at an early age. He played in bands to initially hone his instrumental abilities. He studied
electrical engineering at the
University of Southern California where he took much of his leisure time in his dorm room to work on music. In 2009, he began releasing his music as
White Panda, with childhood friend Tom Evans, who was studying in Chicago. They began a national tour in July 2011, in a second generation of
mashup artists gaining popularity on college campuses and music-streaming websites. They played college campuses, such as the University of Delaware and Swarthmore College, and shared the stage with Flo Rida, Wale and Sam Adams.