James Mtume grew up in a musical environment with jazz musicians; then he learned to play piano and percussion; however, he pursued swimming during his teenage years.
He is the son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, however he was raised by his stepfather, a Philadelphia local jazz pianist, James "Hen Gates" Forman. Mtume grew up in a musical environment with jazz musicians frequenting his parents' house. He learned to play piano and percussion; however, from his teenage years he was pursuing athletics as a swimmer, having achieved the title of the first black Middle Atlantic AAU champion in the backstroke, and in 1966 he entered Pasadena City College on a swimming scholarship. 
