Yo-Yo (rapper)
American rapper and actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whitaker (born August 4, 1971)[1] is an American rapper and actress.
Yo-Yo | |
|---|---|
 Yo-Yo in 1997 | |
| Born | Yolanda Whitaker August 4, 1971 Compton, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
DeAndre Windom
(m. 2013; div. 2016) |
| Partner(s) | Kelvin J. King (2023–present; engaged) |
| 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 |
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.
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'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.
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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]
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- Studio albums
- Make Way for the Motherlode (1991)
- Black Pearl (1992)
- You Better Ask Somebody (1993)
- Total Control (1996)
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 |
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| 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] |
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