Kali Muscle the type to pull up to the drive thru and order allll the smoke. And a medium Diet Coke.
Chuck Kirkendall, aka Kali Muscle, was born on February 18, 1975. He grew up in Oakland, California. He said his childhood was “complicated.” His senior year of high school, his older brother committed suicide. That led him down a dark road of depression and anger. That same year, Kali had gotten an academic and football scholarship to Fresno State. He went away to college, but, when money got low, he resorting to robbery to get by. It would catch up with him.
NEXT: How To Increase Your Net Worth With Virtual Toll Booths
Kali Muscle was arrested and sent to San Quentin State Prison. After serving a number of years, he got out, wound up in more trouble, and got sent back. This cycle would continue for the next few years. Finally he decided to pivot and try something positive. So he started doing bodybuilding shows. In 2009, he won his first show: Orange County Classic.
After that, Kali moved to Los Angeles and got bit by the acting bug. He began doing background work before landing some pretty big commercials. GEICO being the most noteworthy. Then, a videographer asked to do a documentary on Kali Muscle. He accepted. It was posted to YouTube, and, after seeing all the buzz about him, Kali decided to ride that wave and start his own channel.
Whether he was getting slapped in the face, pre-set, by a fellow meathead, or doing crazy calisthenics at the beach, or comedy skits in the middle of the street, people ate it up. His subscriber count multiplied into the millions. Here’s what Kali had to say in his welcome video: “This channel is to motivate you, inspire you. To show you that, hey, if a guy that did over 11 years in prison can make it in life, so can you.”
Kali Muscle in the gym lookin’ like a slab of brisket.
Kali Muscle’s money situation
Kali Muscle makes money when viewers watch ads sprinkled throughout his YouTube videos. He also has a lifestyle brand, Hyphy Life, where he slings supplements and apparel. Smaller income streams include books sales of his autobiography, public speaking, brand deals and sponsorships. Add it all up, and Kali Muscle has built an impressive net worth to go along with his bod. Sources say it’s around $5 million dollars.
Kali Muscle enjoys giving back to his community. His “Ex-Con To Icon” project has him hosting a series of lectures, talks, and workshops all over California. His goal is to educate the youth about the dangers of getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, where the street life can suck you in and spit you out—if you’re not careful.
Kali’s first wife was model, actress, and makeup entrepreneur, Dvyne Kirkendall. When that marriage blew up, Dvyne accused Kali of infidelity. He eventually remarried a woman named Helena Vladis. On Christmas day, 2019, they announced the birth of their boy-girl twins: Kali Muscle Jr. and Brooke Taylor.
Now for the million dollar question: is Kali Muscle natty or not? According to the internet, no. Despite freakishly good genetics, there’s zero chance a dude in his upper 40s could carry that much mass and be that ripped. Plus, would a former felon really dry-snitch on himself, like, “Hey everyone, I’m illegally injection steroids into my butt every day!” Probably not.
But, on the flip side, Kali Muscle has sworn up and down he’s all natural. That you, too, could look like him, especially if you were behind bars for over a decade with nothing to do but eat and lift. Hmm. I’m siding with the internet on this one, but I definitely wouldn’t say it to his face. How ’bout you?
