Yukmouth
Yukmouth |
|---|
Jerold Dwight Ellis, III, (born October 18, 1974 in Oakland, California) better known by his stage names Yukmouth & Yuk, is an Grammy-nominated American rapper from East Oakland, Oakland, California. He is the founder of The Regime, Smoke-A-Lot Records and Godzilla Entertainment.
He is a member of the platinum-selling rap duo Luniz along with Numskull. Luniz recorded the successful weed anthem, "I Got 5 on It". He went on to sign a solo record deal at J-Prince's Rap-a-Lot Records, releasing four albums. His double album debut on the label, entitled Thugged Out: The Albulation went gold.[1] Under his own label, Smoke-a-Lot Records, he has released DVD's and compilation albums, such as the United Ghettos of America series.
He is a member of Thug Lordz, with C-Bo and Spice 1. He is known in the rap industry for both his remarkable history of collaborations and his ruthless diss tracks.
Smoke-A-Lot Records
Yukmouth is CEO of Smoke-a-Lot Records, which is distributed by Rap-a-Lot Records. The label is home to established artists such as Luniz, Dru Down, Thug Lordz (Yukmouth, C-Bo & Spice 1), The Regime, and Yukmouth himself. The Regime is a large collective of MCs including Tech N9ne, Tha Realest, Dru Down, GONZOE, Monsta Ganjah and Messy Marv among various others. It is home to new comers Ampichino, Nyce, Young Dru, and Marc Shyst. Attached to the label as In-House DJ is former Cali Untouchable DJ, DJ Fingaz.
Feuds
Too Short
Luniz had an early rivalry with fellow Oakland rapper Too Short. The rivalry began in 1994 shortly after Luniz released the undeground EP Formally Known As Lunitunz (later re-released as Bootlegs and B-Sides in 1997). Around the time Chris Hicks brought out Luniz, Too Short introduced his rap duo Bad-N-Fluenz consisting of Ant Diddley Dog and the late Rappin Ron. Due to the rising popularity between the two duos in the streets of Oakland, both Too Short and Chris Hicks set up a freestyle battle between the two acts. The agreement was the loser of the battle would buy pizza for everyone who was at the studio who witnessed the battle. No one outside The Dangerous Crew or C-Note Records circle knows the true outcome of the battle, however it was this event that is credited for spawning the feud between the two crews. Later that year Too Short relocated to Atlanta, GA and Luniz taunted him on the song "Playa Hata" with the lyric "that's why The Town got rid of Short" which led to rumors of Too Short being ran out of Oakland against his own will. Too Short responded back on his tenth album with the song "That's Why" with the hook mimicking lyrics from Luniz song. On the song he boasts "Rappin Ron tore them up on the freestyle tip, them niggas ain't ran nobody outta shit." Too Short continued to take shots at Luniz on the song "Trouble" from J-Dubb's EP Game Related. The artists later "squashed" their rivalry by appearing on a track together called "Funkin' Over Nothing", however Yukmouth continued to later take shots at Too Short alongside Scarface & Master P on the song " Friends" from his compilation United Ghettos of America. Since then Yukmouth appeared on the Too Short compilation released in 2007 titled "I Love the Bay."
Master P
Yukmouth's most famous and long lasting rivalry is with veteran rapper Master P. Yukmouth has claimed in numerous songs that he used to know Master P before either man became a famous rapper. According to Yukmouth, Master P "stole" or copied Yukmouth's nickname "The Ice Cream Man". In 1993 Dru Down released single and video "Ice Cream Man" featured on the album Fools from the Streets (Later re-released in 1994 as Explicit Game). In 1995, Operation Stackola featured a remix of "Ice Cream Man" called "Yellow Brick Road" containing the original hook with the lyrics "It's the Ice Cream Man! Bitch don't you hear the music?". Ice Cream Man later became the name of a Master P CD in 1996. Yukmouth, also claims that Master P, uses Tupac Shakur's name to gain fame, as noted in the West Coast Bad Boys Compilation in the song "Tupac Shakur tribute." Yukmouth has dissed Master P on every solo CD that he has recorded (with the exception of his latest CD's Million Dollar Mouthpiece, The West Coast Don and Free at Last) , along with both of the United Ghettos of America CDs and all of his mixtapes.
G-Unit
Yukmouth has had a rivalry with G-Unit. Yukmouth first took shots at 50 Cent on the song "Thug Lordz" with C-Bo from his 2003 release Godzilla and later collaborated with Silverback Guerillaz aka Bang 'Em Smurf & Domination on the song "He Ain't a Thug" from the album In Thugz We Trust. Yukmouth had an ongoing feud with Spider Loc which began with an altercation at a L.A. nightclub where he was jumped by Spider Loc and his entourage, one of whom managed to steal Yukmouth's chain. Yukmouth reclaimed his chain the very next day as a mutual friend intervened. Yukmouth disses Spider Loc in many songs such as "Aaaadadamean", "Get Wild", "Im Da Shit" and "Playa Hata". In a recent interview, Yukmouth stated he and Spider Loc ended the rivalry by way of a phone conversation they had.
The Game
Yukmouth first met The Game at a club stating he had a feud with 50 Cent. Game released a diss track aimed at the rapper, entitled "I Got a Mill on It," over the "I Got 5 on It" instrumental, a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of Luniz. [2] Yukmouth responded with the track "Game Over" using the instrumental from Young Buck's song "Let Me In" that mocked Game's appearance on Change of Heart. The two later tried to bury the hatchet, due to a personal friend and even recorded a song together with C-Bo's protege Speedy, named "Peace". However the rivalry continued afterward, since Game dissed Yukmouth on the "Peace" song (they recorded their verses separately). [3] Since then, Yukmouth responded by releasing the song and music video "Game Over Part 2" over Fabolous' "Breathe" instrumental in which it parodied Game. In the video there is a look-a-like of the rapper getting robbed and beaten up. Yukmouth claimed on the song that Game had a tongue ring and was slapped by mogul Suge Knight. Yukmouth dissed The Game once more with the song "Wartime". Since the West Coast Peace Conference both rappers ended the feud and have recorded a song with Erick Sermon called "Across The Coast" on a Game mix cd called "The Face Of L.A.".
Afroman
Yukmouth has called out fellow California rapper Afroman on "World War 3" on his Million Dollar mixtape. Yukmouth called him a "backpack mother a... drunk ass, 40 oz drinkin ass nigga." After Afroman spoke on him in an interview. Afroman is rumored to have dissed Yukmouth in "Whack Rappers 2"(Yukmouth is not mentioned or referred to in whack rappers 2).
Numskull
Numskull is one half of the platinum selling group Luniz. After years of bad press between the duo, multiple songs that depict them saying bad things of one another, it finally happens. Numskull attends the infamous BARS awards and tells the crowd " Yukmouth", and then puts a wad of money up and says "I bet 10 racks he wont come up here", and is soon after stormed up on stage by the late Pretty Black. Two diss tracks are later released, one of which was released on Yukmouth's Lord of War mixtape titled "I dont miss my dawgs".
Yukmouth revealed many new details about the Numskull beef and how Luniz were formed. Among other things, he stated that "the group was an idea he came up with while in prison, that he came up with the logo and the names Luniz, Yukmouth and Numskull". He stated that before Luniz, Numskull was rapping under the name "The Skinny One" but was prompted by Yukmouth to change his stage name.
Squashed Beef
Yukmouth has confirmed that he had settled his grievances with Daz Dillinger, The Game, Young Buck, JT the Bigga Figga and Master P. Yukmouth claimed in the interview that "all beef is squashable."
Yukmouth claims that he no longer has a rivalry with 50 Cent and The Game on the track "Bloody Mary" on his latest mixtape, The City of Dope Volume 1.
Discography
- 1998: Thugged Out: The Albulation
- 2001: Thug Lord: The New Testament
- 2003: Godzilla
- 2008: Million Dollar Mouthpiece
- 2009: The West Coast Don
- 2010: Free at Last
Filmography
- Original Gangstas (1996)
- Mexican Blow (also released as Warrior) (2002) - The Midnight Sun
- United Ghettos of America vol. 1 (2002)
- United Ghettos of America vol. 2 (2004)
- T9X: The Tech N9ne Experience (2004)
- United Ghettos of America: Eye Candy (2007)
- Yukmouth Uncut (2007)
- Million Dollar DVD (2007)
Awards
Grammy Award nominations
| Category | Genre | Song | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (with Numskull, Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Yo-Yo, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal, Quincy Jones & Coolio) |
R&B | "Stomp" | 1997 | Nominated [2] |