Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA but raised in Cleveland, Ohio to multiracial parents (both of whom were of mixed caucasian and African American descent), which he has said led to experiences of racism throughout his childhood , although his version of one highly publicized incident is disputed by his father and others . Howard was arrested in 2000 for allegedly assaulting a stewardess. Acting runs in his family - his great grandmother, Minnie Gentry is a stage actress from New York. Howard was raised in a Jehovah's Witness household, and attended Pratt Institute, receiving a degree in chemical engineering. He was discovered on a New York street, quickly appearing in small roles on television shows like Family Matters and Coach.

His big film break came in his role in 1995's Mr. Holland's Opus. He has continued landing television and movie roles and co-starred as "Greg Sparks" in the late-1990s television series Sparks with James Avery and Miguel A. Nunez Jr. Howard also appeared in Ashanti's music video for her 2002 single "Foolish". Also in 2005, he also appeared on Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You". Howard has a longstanding reputation in the Black community as a solid acting talent who often portrays provocative, even frightening characters, such as Cowboy in "Dead Presidents" or the memorable Quentin in "The Best Man." Though he has recently gained popularity in films like Hustle & Flow (for which he also rapped), Crash, and Four Brothers, he stands out as a modest actor who insists on sharing the spotlight with his co-stars. In 2005, he received both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his role in Hustle & Flow.