At first he was a prominent African tribal war chieftain. Although he eluded slave traders for a while, he was eventually captured and sold to slavery.

He was brought to the coast of Florida where he escaped his captors and for years plundered and amassed large amounts of treasure.

He eventually began taking in more pirates and eventually controlled his own island, where he had a harem of at least 100 women captured from other ships.

He eventually joined Blackbeard in raiding American ships in the Mid-Atlantic. He was named lieutenant on Queen Anne's Revenge. That didn't last too long, though. He was captured by Virginian authorities and hanged for his crimes.