Yo-Yo, born Yolanda Whittaker, is a renowned and unpredictable female MC known for her sophisticated style and empowering messages. She gained recognition in the hip-hop industry with her debut single "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo" in 1991, which reached #1 on the R&B charts and #36 on the Hot 100 charts.
Her subsequent singles, including "Stompin in the '90s," "Ain't Nobody Better," and "Girl, Don't Be No Fool," propelled her debut album "Make Way for the Motherlode" to the Billboard Top 100 chart. She also made her screen debut in the Oscar-nominated film Boyz n the Hood in 1991.
Yo-Yo's sophomore album, "Black Pearl," was released in 1992 and featured the singles "Homegirl Don't Play That" and "Black Pearl." The album reached #145 on the Top 100 chart and #32 on the R&B chart. In 1993, she appeared in several films, including Who's the Man?, Menace II Society, Strapped, and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.
Yo-Yo's third album, "You Better Ask Somebody," was released in 1993 and featured the singles "IBWin' wit My Crewin'," "Westside Story," and "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme." Although the album did not achieve the same level of success as her debut, it returned her to the best-selling female MCs list.
After 1993, Yo-Yo's music career took a backseat to her acting career, with appearances in films and television shows. She returned to music in 1996 with her fourth album, "Total Control," which was an R&B-infused album that catered to party jams and happiness. However, the album failed to hit and was eventually pulled off shelves due to a lawsuit for an uncleared sample.
Yo-Yo continued to act in films and television shows throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Panther, Trials of Life, and Sprung. In 1998, she collaborated with some of hip-hop's finest for her fifth studio release, "Ebony," but the album was eventually deleted and she was released from her contract.
In 2004, Yo-Yo lent her voice to the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. She returned to the music spotlight in 2005 with a mix-tape remix of Ciara's "Goodies" and the Game's "How We Do." Her sixth studio album is set for release in 2006 on her own indie label, amid fans' anticipation.
