Ya Boy
Ya Boy |
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William Joseph Crawford (born January 28, 1984), better known by his stage name Ya Boy, is an American rapper from the Fillmore District, San Francisco. He is a younger cousin of San Francisco rapper San Quinn. Crawford graduated from El Camino High School in South San Francisco, California, in 2001. He is currently signed to his own label Black Card Music, Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records[1] and both of Akon's labels Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution[2][3].
Early career
As a youth growing up in the Fillmore District, San Francisco, Ya Boy began rapping with the song "16's with Me." He continued to release mixtapes and singles with the support of cousin San Quinn's independent label Done Deal Entertainment. He released his debut, Rookie of the Year, in 2005. In 2006, he amicably left his cousin's label to pursue opportunities with his uncle, who was an executive at Compton rapper The Game's Black Wall Street Records imprint, His affiliation to Game allowed him to work with top industry producers and lead to greater exposure outside of the Bay Area locale as shown by his feature in The Source magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column. Cyril Cordor, All Music Guide. Ya Boy appeared on the track "Dance with a Pimp" on Kevin Federline's 2006 album.
Career
In late 2006, Ya Boy signed to Game’s Warner Brothers distributed label The Black Wall Street Records. After making an appearance on the label’s first release - a mixtape, The Black Wall Street Journal Vol. 1 - Ya Boy has began to work with a number of big name producers including Scott Storch and Cool & Dre on his second full length album Holla at Ya Boy. The album’s fresh lead single, "Holla at Ya Boy", was released in early 2008 to critical success in that same year he left Game’s Black Wall Street Records.In 2009 DJ Sourmilk and Mike G's management company, Nitevision and Ya Boy started his own record label with Mike G, "Black Card Music" also that year Boy signed to Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records[4]. he also appeared on the More Than a Game sound track with his song "We Ready".In 2010 Boy signed to Akon's label Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. In August 2010 he released his first single, "Party Girls," featuring Rico Love.
Albums
Ya Boy has released 1 studio album, 1 EP and 11 Mixtapes:
Studio Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Rookie of the Year |
EPs
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Guns and Roses |
Mixtapes
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | The Future of the Franchise |
| 2006 | Ya Boy Radio: Part 1 |
| 2006 | Chapter 1: The Rise |
| 2007 | The Fix |
| 2007 | Optimus Rime |
| 2007 | The Prince of the Bay |
| 2008 | I'm 'Bout to Murdah This Shit |
| 2008 | The Bay Area Bully |
| 2009 | Kush 2009 |
| 2009 | Mohawks & Heavy Metal |
| 2010 | The Fix 2 |