Yo yo

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yo Yo 1997
Yo Yo 1997
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Make way for the motherlode
  US 74 04/13/1991 (21 weeks)
Black Pearl
  US 145 07/11/1992 (2 weeks)
You Better Ask Somebody
  US 107 07/10/1993 (5 weeks)
Singles
You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo
  US 36 05/25/1991 (12 weeks)
The Bonnie and Clyde Theme
  US 72 07/31/1993 (12 weeks)

Yo Yo (born August 4, 1971 in Los Angeles , California ; real name Yolanda Whitaker ) is an American rapper who specializes in hardcore rap and west coast hip-hop . Your stage name is also spelled less often as YoYo or Yo-Yo .

biography

Yolanda Whitaker is from Compton . She went to school at Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles. There she started rapping at the age of 15 and took part in numerous talent shows. T. Bone from the hip-hop group Da Lench Mob was also a student there . It was through this contact that she met Ice Cube , the most famous member of the Lench Mob. He sponsored her from then on and introduced her to the public in 1990 on the song “It's a Man's World” on his album “ AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted ”. On this piece, Ice Cube plays with his image as a mysogynist .

The following year, he and Sir Jinx produced their debut album "Make Way for the Motherlode", which was released under the stage name Yo Yo on the EastWest label . Ice Cube was also featured as a feature on the single "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo," which became Yo Yo's biggest hit and hit position 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 . The corresponding long player did not get past 74th place on the Billboard 200 , but was able to stay on this sales list for a total of 21 weeks due to the success of the single.

That same year, Whitaker made her acting debut in the movie Boyz n the Hood . Parallel to her music career she took on smaller roles in the following years, for example in Menace II Society , Sister Act 2 - In divine Mission and the television series Martin .

In 1992 she released her second album, "Black Pearl". However, the work did not contain a successful single, so that it achieved a worse result than its predecessor with number 145 in the US charts.

Nevertheless, her next record was released in 1993 with "You Better Ask Somebody". The renewed collaboration with Ice Cube on "The Bonnie And Clyde Theme" brought her another hit parade placement in the USA, so that the album also sold a little better. Nevertheless, she was unable to build on the results of her debut.

The commercial downward trend continued with “Total Control” released in 1996, which was only featured in the genre-specific Billboard charts “Top R & B / Hip-Hop Albums”. However, it was the 39th of the Grammy Awards nominated, together with STOMP , Mr. X , Melle Mel , Coolio , Chaka Khan , Charlie Wilson , Shaquille O'Neal and Luniz for the lecture on Quincy Jones ' song "Stomp" . In the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, however, she lost to the Fugees with Killing Me Softly .

In 1998 her fifth album "Ebony" should appear. The publication was canceled, however, because legal problems arose with the contracts of the numerous guest musicians, so that only a few copies of the sound carrier exist.

This was followed by a long period of time without Yo Yo's own new music. She was only heard occasionally in works by other artists, for example on the 2005 tribute album for Tupac Shakur , "The Rose, Vol. 2" with the song "Only 4 the Righteous" or on Brooke Valentine's single "Boogie Oogie Oogie".

Instead, she worked for the Los Angeles radio station KDAY and was involved in social work. Together with MC Lyte , she founded the “Let Your Light Shine” foundation, which among other things awards educational grants, and gave poetry lessons at her former high school.

In 2007 she released the album "Hits Revealed" with the short running time of 31:42, which was only available digitally. It no longer achieved commercial importance.

She then became co-host of the 2008 television series "Miss Rap Supreme" broadcast on VH1 , in which 10 female MCs competed in various tasks for a prize money of 100,000 US dollars .

In 2011 she opened the "YoYo School of Hip Hop" with branches in Los Angeles and Highland Park , Michigan . This is a program for children who learn music production and creative writing, as well as lessons in hip-hop dance and acting. In 2013 she also married the then Mayor of Highland Parks, DeAndre Windom.

Discography

Albums

  • 1991: Make Way for the Motherlode
  • 1992: Black Pearl
  • 1993: You Better Ask Somebody
  • 1996: Total Control
  • 1998: Ebony
  • 2007: Hits Revealed

Singles

  • 1990: Stompin 'to the 90’s
  • 1991: You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo
  • 1991: Ain't Nobody Better
  • 1991: Girl Don't Be No Fool
  • 1992: Home Girl Don't Play Dat
  • 1993: Ibwin wit My Crewin '
  • 1993: The Bonnie and Clyde Theme
  • 1993: Westside Story

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Billboard : Yo-Yo - Chart history | Billboard 200
  2. ↑ Billboard: Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart | The Week of May 25, 1991
  3. ^ Billboard: Yo-Yo - Chart history | The Hot 100
  4. ↑ Yo-Yo. BET , accessed April 4, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b c Gail Mitchell: Yo-Yo Battles Back With 'Rap Supreme'. Billboard , March 18, 2008, accessed April 4, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Gail Mitchell: Female MCs Missy Elliott, Salt-N-Pepa Celebrated in 'My Mic Sounds Nice' Doc. Billboard, August 29, 2010, accessed April 4, 2016 .
  7. ↑ a b Tyler K. McDermott: Day 5: Yo-Yo. In: Ladies First: 31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop. Billboard, March 5, 2014, accessed April 4, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Allmusic : AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube | Songs, reviews, credits
  9. ↑ Allmusic: Make Way for the Motherlode - Yo-Yo | Songs, reviews, credits
  10. ↑ Allmusic: Black Pearl - Yo-Yo | Songs, reviews, credits
  11. ^ Billboard: Yo-Yo - Chart history | Top R&B / Hip-Hop albums
  12. ↑ STOMP | Official Site: History - STOMP timeline
  13. ↑ See TV documentary series "Unsung" by TV One, episode about Yo Yo
  14. ↑ Microsoft Store : Hits Revealed: Yo-Yo
  15. ↑ Allmusic: Hits Revealed: Yo Yo - Yo-Yo | Releases
  16. ↑ Kirsten West Savali: Yo Yo's Husband, Mayor DeAndre Windom, Shot In Detroit Nightclub. HelloBeautiful, accessed April 4, 2016 .
personal data
SURNAME Yo yo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Whitaker, Yolanda (real name); YoYo; Yo-yo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rapper
DATE OF BIRTH 4th August 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH Los Angeles , California , United States