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Yo-Yo (rapper)

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Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo in 1997
Born
Yolanda Whitaker

(1971-08-04) August 4, 1971 (age 53)
Compton, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • actress
Spouse
DeAndre Windom
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2016)​
[contradictory]
Partner(s)Kelvin J. King
(2023–present; engaged)
Musical career
OriginSouth Central, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresWest Coast hip hop
Years active1989–present
LabelsEast West America
Websiteyoyoschoolofhiphop.com

Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whitaker (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] She also performed on a couple of stages with Shock G's group Digital Underground.

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 the work of 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 in 1997

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. She also performed on the Arsenio Hall show in 1994 alongside many other famous rappers and rap groups. Yo-Yo opened up the show and was later followed by rappers and groups like Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan.

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] Yo-Yo currently hosts a cooking show on the Aspire network "Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo."[9]

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.[10] She has a reoccurring role in the series Saturdays on Disney Plus starring role as skating rink owner, Duchess.

Personal life

Yo-Yo was in a relationship with Tupac Shakur for some time in the 1990s. She was with Shakur in the hospital shortly before he died.[11] Later, Yo-Yo became engaged to DeAndre Windom, the former mayor of Highland Park, Michigan, in August 2012.[12] The two married on August 17,[13] 2013 in the Cayman Islands[14] and divorced in 2016.[15]

In November 2023 Yo-Yo became engaged to Kelvin J. King a successful Businessman and Real Estate Mogul from South Jamaica Queens New York City.

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.[16] She also founded the Yo-Yo School of Hip-Hop to use hip-hop in curriculum for at-risk students.[17]

Discography

Main article: Yo-Yo discography
Studio albums

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
1995 Panther Pregnant Junkie
1997 Sprung Sista #3
Trials of Life Jennifer TV movie
1999 The Breaks Loretha
Beverly Hood Tilly
2000 3 Strikes Charita
2001 Longshot Herself
2002 Paper Soldiers Judge Prince [18]
2006 Da Jammies Mrs. Mangual (voice) Short
Waist Deep Female Radio DJ (voice)
2016 Janitors Herself

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1992-98 Soul Train Herself Recurring Guest
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"
2008 Ego Trip's Miss Rap Supreme Herself/Co-Host Main Co-Host
The Greatest Herself Episode: "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs"
2011 Way Black When: Primetime Herself Episode: "Episode #1.12"
2014-22 Unsung Herself Recurring Guest
2015 Da Jammies The Real Rosanne (voice) Episode: "Old School"
2017 Unsung Hollywood Herself Episode: "Tupac Shakur"
2018 Unsolved Pretty Woman Episode: "Wherever It Leads"
2019 Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood Herself Main Cast: Season 6
2022-23 Double Cross Taye Guest Cast: Season 3-4
2023 Saturdays Duchess Recurring Cast
Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo Herself/Host Main Host

Music Videos

Year Song Artist Role
1995 2Pac "Temptations" Girl in Last Room
1997 Missy Elliott "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" Herself

Video Game

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Kendl Johnson (voice)
2021 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition Archival recordings
Remaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only

Documentary

Year Title
1999 After Stonewall
2010 The Wordz Project
My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop
2011 The Power of Words

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

  1. ^ Ron Wynn (August 4, 1971). "Yo-Yo | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  2. ^ "SUMMER SPLASH III". (May 26, 1991). L.A. Times, p. 50
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c Abdul-Adil, Jaleel (August 1, 1993), "Yo Yo and MC Lyte Turn Tables on Male Rappers", Chicago Sun-Times, p. 9
  5. ^ "VH1′s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Stereogum. September 29, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  6. ^ "Lifestyle | Icons Speak: YoYo Talks Keri Hilson, Female Emcees, more". Singersroom.com. January 6, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  7. ^ "MC Lyte to Executive Produce 'Hip Hop Sisters' on BET". Black Enterprise. June 12, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "@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.
  9. ^ "Yo-Yo Is In Her Happy Place On 'Downright Delicious With Yo-Yo' Cooking Show". Vibe.com. June 10, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Jones, Francis. "Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (album review 3)". sputnikmusic.com. Sputnik Music. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  11. ^ "Unsung". TVOne. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  12. ^ Blackman, Ritch (August 24, 2012). "Rapper Yo Yo Engaged To Highland Park, Mi Mayor". UnsungHipHop. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  13. ^ "Facebook". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Sylk, Sam (2013). "Yo Yo's Husband, Mayor DeAndre Windom, Shot In Detroit Nightclub". WZAK. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  15. ^ "MC Lyte, Yo-Yo & Remy Ma Featured in New Episode of OWN's 'Girlfriends Check-In' [Video]". July 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "Free Speech for Rappers". The Progressive. 58 (4): 9. April 1994 – via ProQuest Central.
  17. ^ "Compton Artist YoYo Gives Students Hip-Hop Education". NBC Southern California. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  18. ^ "Full cast and crew for Paper Soldiers (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
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