Yolanda Whitaker, also known as Yo-Yo (born August 4, 1971) is an American rapper and actress. Much of Yo-Yo's music advocates

female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Nai ...

. She is the

protégé Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

of gangsta rapper

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be p ...

. Yo-Yo has dubbed her crew the IBWC, Intelligent Black Woman's Coalition.

Career

Music

Yo-Yo first appeared as a guest on

's 1990 debut studio album '' AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' on the track "It's a Man's World". 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''. 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 The ''Black Pearl'' (formerly known as the ''Wicked Wench'') is a fictional ship in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the screenplay, the ''Black Pearl'' is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by ...

'', was well received by critics,Abdul-Adil, Jaleel (August 1, 1993), "Yo Yo and MC Lyte Turn Tables on Male Rappers", ''Chicago Sun-Times'', p. 9 partly because of its focus on positive messages and uplifting themes that heavily contrasted with the popular

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

style at the time. 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. Less than a year later, Yo-Yo released her follow-up album, titled '' You Better Ask Somebody''. The final track on the album was her third recorded hip-hop duet with

, "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme". Yo-Yo's next album, '' Total Control'', was released in 1996. In 1998, Yo-Yo finished her fifth studio album, ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'', 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. Later that year, she performed with

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...

The Lady of Rage Robin Yvette Allen (born February 6,1966), known professionally as the Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with several other Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on th ...

, and

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, '' Hot, ...

at the

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

. As of 2009, Yo-Yo has been working on an EP, titled ''My Journey to Fearless: The Black Butterfly''. In 2013, it was announced she joined the upcoming

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

reality series ''Hip Hop Sisters'' which will focus on six female rappers' lives and their attempts to relaunch their careers. Other rappers confirmed to appear are

Lady of Rage Robin Yvette Allen (born February 6,1966), known professionally as the Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with several other Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on th ...

, Monie Love, Lil Mama, and Smooth.

Acting

Yo-Yo appeared in the 1991 film ''

Boyz n the Hood ''Boyz n the Hood'' is a 1991 American coming-of-age hood drama film written and directed by John Singleton in his feature directorial debut. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Regina King, and An ...

''. She had a recurring role on the television show ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

'' as Keylolo, the sidekick to comedian Martin Lawrence's alter ego

Sheneneh ''Martin'' is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992, to May 1, 1997. The show starred comedian and namesake Martin Lawrence as the titular character. Lawrence also played several other characte ...

. Yo-Yo also appeared on other TV shows, including the Fox network's ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American police drama that aired on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torre ...

''. She made a cameo appearance in the music video for Missy Elliot's "

The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is the debut solo single by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written and composed by Don Bryant, Bernard "Bernie" Miller, Elliott, and producer Timbaland for her debut album ''Supa Dupa Fly'' (1997 ...

". She also appeared in the 2004 video game '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' as the voice of Kendl Johnson.

Personal life

Yo-Yo dated

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

for some time in the 1990s. She was with Shakur in the hospital shortly before he died. Later, Yo-Yo became engaged to DeAndre Windom, the former mayor of Highland Park,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, in August 2012. The two married on August 17, 2013 in the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

and divorced in 2018. 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 The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...

hearing about whether the government should require rating labels on gangsta rap. She also founded the Yo-Yo School of Hip-Hop to use hip-hop in curriculum for at-risk students.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Make Way for the Motherlode'' (1991) * ''

'' (1992) * '' You Better Ask Somebody'' (1993) * '' Total Control'' (1996)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Awards and nominations

References

Notes

Citations

External links

*
Yo-Yo School of Hip Hop
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yo-Yo 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