Yo-Yo (rapper)
Yo-Yo | |
|---|---|
 Yo-Yo in 1997 | |
| Born | Yolanda Whitaker August 4, 1971 Compton, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
DeAndre Windom
(m. 2013; div. 2018) |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | South Central, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | West Coast hip hop |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | East West America |
| Website | yoyoschoolofhiphop |
Yolanda Whitaker, also known as Yo-Yo (born August 4, 1971)[1] is an American rapper and actress.
Much of Yo-Yo's music advocates female empowerment. She is the protégé of gangsta rapper Ice Cube. Yo-Yo has dubbed her crew the IBWC, Intelligent Black Woman's Coalition.[2]
Career
Music
Yo-Yo first appeared as a guest on Ice Cube's 1990 debut studio album AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted on the track "It's a Man's World".[3] Cube returned the favor by appearing on "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo", on Yo-Yo's 1991 debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.[3] Each of the videos for the singles from the album were directed by Okuwah Garrett of Power Films.
Her follow-up album released in 1992, Black Pearl,[3] was well received by critics,[4] partly because of its focus on positive messages and uplifting themes that heavily contrasted with the popular gangsta rap style at the time.[4] Despite a plethora of renowned producers such as DJ Muggs, this failed to translate into a hit with mainstream hip-hop audiences, and the album's sales were considered a disappointment.[4]
Less than a year later, Yo-Yo released her follow-up album, titled You Better Ask Somebody.[3] The final track on the album was her third recorded hip-hop duet with Ice Cube, "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme".[3]
Yo-Yo's next album, Total Control, was released in 1996.[3] In 1998, Yo-Yo finished her fifth studio album, Ebony, though it was not released. In 2008, her single, "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" was ranked number 92 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.[5] Later that year, she performed with MC Lyte, The Lady of Rage, and Salt-N-Pepa at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
As of 2009, Yo-Yo has been working on an EP, titled My Journey to Fearless: The Black Butterfly.[6]
In 2013, it was announced she joined the upcoming BET reality series Hip Hop Sisters which will focus on six female rappers' lives and their attempts to relaunch their careers.[7] Other rappers confirmed to appear are MC Lyte, Lady of Rage, Monie Love, Lil Mama, and Smooth.[8]
Acting
Yo-Yo appeared in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood. She had a recurring role on the television show Martin as Keylolo, the sidekick to comedian Martin Lawrence's alter ego Sheneneh. Yo-Yo also appeared on other TV shows, including the Fox network's New York Undercover. She made a cameo appearance in the music video for Missy Elliot's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)". She also appeared in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as the voice of Kendl Johnson.[9]
Personal life
Yo-Yo dated Tupac Shakur for some time in the 1990s. She was with Shakur in the hospital shortly before he died.[10] Later, Yo-Yo became engaged to DeAndre Windom, the former mayor of Highland Park, Michigan, in August 2012.[11] The two married on August 17,[12] 2013 in the Cayman Islands[13] and divorced in 2018.[14]
Yo-Yo has been active in advocating for hip-hop artists to become involved within their community. Notably, she testified in 1994 for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about whether the government should require rating labels on gangsta rap.[15] She also founded the Yo-Yo School of Hip-Hop to use hip-hop in curriculum for at-risk students.[16]
Discography
- Studio albums
- Make Way for the Motherlode (1991)
- Black Pearl (1992)
- You Better Ask Somebody (1993)
- Total Control (1996)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Boyz n the Hood | Herself | |
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Woman | |
| Menace II Society | Girl at Party | ||
| Strapped | Ann | TV Movie | |
| Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Sondra | ||
| 1994 | Adventures of D.P. Boys 17: South of the Border | Video | |
| 1995 | Panther | Pregnant Junkie | |
| 1997 | Sprung | Sista #3 | |
| Trials of Life | Jennifer | ||
| 1999 | After Stonewall | Herself | Documentary |
| The Breaks | Loretha | ||
| Beverly Hood | Tilly | ||
| 2000 | 3 Strikes | Charita | |
| 2001 | Longshot | Herself | |
| 2002 | Paper Soldiers | Judge Prince | [17] |
| 2006 | Da Jammies | Mrs. Mangual (voice) | Video short |
| Waist Deep | Female Radio DJ (voice) | ||
| 2010 | The Wordz Project | Herself | Video Documentary |
| My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop | Herself | TV Movie Documentary | |
| 2011 | The Power of Words | Herself | Documentary |
| 2016 | Janitors | Herself |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-98 | Soul Train | Herself | 3 Episodes |
| 1993-95 | Martin | Keylolo | Recurring Cast: Season 1, 3 |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Nikki | Episode: "You Get No Respect" |
| 1996 | Moesha | Security Guard | Episode: "A Concerted Effort: Part 1" |
| 1997 | The Parent 'Hood | Audrey | Episode: "When Robert Met Jerri" |
| 1998 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Kierston | Episode: "Passenger 187" |
| 2005 | Ego Trip's Race-O-Rama | Herself | TV Series Documentary |
| 2006 | 3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors | Herself | TV Special |
| 2007 | Parallel Paths | Herself | TV Series |
| 2008 | Baisden After Dark | Herself | Episode: "Getting Lazy After Marriage" |
| Ego Trip's Miss Rap Supreme | Herself/Co-Host | TV Series | |
| The Greatest | Herself | Episode: "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs" | |
| 2011 | Way Black When: Primetime | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.12" |
| 2015 | Da Jammies | The Real Rosanne (voice) | Episode: "Old School" |
| 2016 | VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens | Herself | TV Special |
| 2018 | Unsolved | Pretty Woman | Episode: "Wherever It Leads" |
| 2019 | Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood | Herself | Main Cast: Season 6 |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Kendl Johnson (voice) |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1995 | MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Rap Video for "I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) (featuring Brandy, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah)[citation needed] |
| 1996 | Grammy Award nomination for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Duo or Group for "Stomp"[citation needed] |
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ Ron Wynn (August 4, 1971). "Yo-Yo | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ "SUMMER SPLASH III". (May 26, 1991). L.A. Times, p. 50
- ^ a b c d e f Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 372/3. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
- ^ a b c Abdul-Adil, Jaleel (August 1, 1993), "Yo Yo and MC Lyte Turn Tables on Male Rappers", Chicago Sun-Times, p. 9
- ^ "VH1′s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Stereogum. September 29, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ "Lifestyle | Icons Speak: YoYo Talks Keri Hilson, Female Emcees, more". Singersroom.com. January 6, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ "MC Lyte to Executive Produce 'Hip Hop Sisters' on BET". Black Enterprise. June 12, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "@VIBEVixen» BET Announces 'Hip Hop Sisters' and Jeanette Jenkins Reality Series » Madison Lafayette". Vibevixen.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ Jones, Francis. "Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (album review 3)". sputnikmusic.com. Sputnik Music. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Unsung". TVOne. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ Blackman, Ritch (August 24, 2012). "Rapper Yo Yo Engaged To Highland Park, Mi Mayor". UnsungHipHop. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "Facebook". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ Sylk, Sam (2013). "Yo Yo's Husband, Mayor DeAndre Windom, Shot In Detroit Nightclub". WZAK. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ "MC Lyte, Yo-Yo & Remy Ma Featured in New Episode of OWN's 'Girlfriends Check-In' [Video]". July 17, 2020.
- ^ "Free Speech for Rappers". The Progressive. 58 (4): 9. April 1994 – via ProQuest Central.
- ^ "Compton Artist YoYo Gives Students Hip-Hop Education". NBC Southern California. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Full cast and crew for Paper Soldiers (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
External links
- Yo-Yo at IMDb
- Yo-Yo School of Hip Hop
- Wilson, Kendall (February 22, 1994). "NPCBW's campaign against vulgar rap gets national support". Philadelphia Tribune. p. 1-A. ProQuest 337694146.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
- 1971 births
- American women rappers
- African-American women rappers
- African-American actresses
- Living people
- Actresses from Los Angeles County, California
- Musicians from Compton, California
- Rappers from California
- Songwriters from California
- West Coast hip hop musicians
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American video game actresses
- American voice actresses
- 20th-century American rappers
- 20th-century American women musicians
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American women musicians
- 21st-century American actresses
- African-American songwriters
- 20th-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- Feminist rappers
- 20th-century women rappers
- 21st-century women rappers