Oakland rapper, originally a member of Luniz. Owner of Smoke-a-Lot Records.
Jerold Dwight Ellis, III (born October 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Yukmouth, is a Grammy-nominated rapper from Oakland, California.
He is a member of the platinum-selling rap duo Luniz along with Numskull. Luniz recorded the successful weed anthem, "I Got 5 on It". He went on to sign a solo record deal at J-Prince's Rap-a-Lot Records, releasing four albums. His double album debut on the label, entitled, Thugged Out: The Albulation went Gold. Under his own label, Smoke-a-Lot Records, he has released DVD's, such as the United Ghettos of America series.
He is a member of the groups Thug Lordz, with C-Bo, and The Regime. Yukmouth has long been a staple in Oakland rap and has worked with artists including Bun B, Dru Down, E-40, Lil Flip, Mac Dre, MC Ren, Gonzoe, Outlawz, Redman, Scarface, T-Pain, Tech N9ne, Tha Dogg Pound, The Game, Too Short, Big Lurch among countless others. He is known in the rap industry for both his remarkable history of collaborations and his ruthless diss tracks.
Career
Yukmouth's popularity does continue beyond the Bay Area with his recent music video for his song "Neck Straight". The video was filmed in South Los Angeles in the summer of 2006 with San Francisco based rapper Killa Klump. The "Neck Straight" music video was created by Marques Owens and Mr. Shannon W. Rawls of Los Angeles based Cinema Hill Motion Picture Company and depicts Yukmouth and Killa Klump selling narcotics disguised as fruit until the LAPD ends the operation and apprehends the rappers.
Smoke-a-Lot Records
Yukmouth is CEO of Smoke-a-Lot Records, which is distributed by Rap-a-Lot Records. The label is home to established artists such as Luniz, Dru Down, Thug Lordz (Yukmouth & C-Bo), The Regime, and Yukmouth himself. It should be noted that The Regime is a large collective of MCs including Tech N9ne, Tha Realest, Dru Down, Gonzoe and Messy Marv among various others. It is home to new comers Ampichino, Nyce, Young Dru, and Marc Shyst. Attached to the label as In-House DJ is former Cali Untouchable DJ, DJ Fingaz.
Feuds
Too Short
Luniz had an early rivalry with fellow Oakland rapper Too Short. The rivalry began in 1994 shortly after Luniz released the undeground EP Formally Known As Lunitunz (later re-released as Bootlegs and B-Sides in 1997). Around the time Chris Hicks brought out Luniz, Too Short introduced his rap duo Bad-N-Fluenz consisting of Ant Diddley Dog and the late Rappin Ron. Due to the rising popularity between the two duos in the streets of Oakland, both Too Short and Chris Hicks set up a freestyle battle between the two acts. The agreement was the loser of the battle would buy pizza for everyone who was at the studio who witnessed the battle. No one outside the The Dangerous Crew or C-Note Records circle knows the true outcome of the battle, however it was this event that is credited for spawning the feud between the two crews. Later that year Too Short moved to Atlanta and Luniz taunted him on the song "Playa Hata" with the lyric "that's why The Town got rid of Short" which led to rumors of Too Short being ran out of Oakland against his own will. Too Short responded back on his tenth album with the song "That's Why" with the hook mimicking lyrics from Luniz song. On the song he boasts "Rappin Ron tore them up on the freestyle tip, them niggas ain't ran nobody outta shit." Too Short continued to take shots at Luniz on the song "Trouble" from J-Dubb's EP Game Related. The artists later "squashed" their rivalry by appearing on a track together called "Funkin' Over Nothing", however Yukmouth continued to later take shots at Too Short on the song "Fuck Friends" from his compilation United Ghettos of America. Since then Yukmouth appeared on the Too Short compilation released in 2007 titled "I Love the Bay."
Master P
Yukmouth's most famous and long lasting rivalry is with veteran rapper Master P. Yukmouth has claimed in numerous songs that he used to know Master P before either man became a famous rapper. According to Yukmouth, Master P had a different rapping style and was constantly laughed at by others. Yukmouth alleges that Master P "stole" or copied Yukmouth's style, along with his nickname "The Ice Cream Man" which later became the name of a Master P CD in 1996. While it is impossible to confirm whether Master P "stole" Yukmouth's style, Yukmouth did appear on a track recorded with fellow rapper Dru Down in 1993 called "The Ice Cream Man" featured on the album Fools from the Streets (Later re-released as Explicit Game). Luniz released a remix of the track entitled "Yellow Brick Road" in 1995 on their debut CD, Operation Stackola. Yukmouth has dissed Master P on every solo CD that he has recorded (with the exception of his latest CD Million Dollar Mouthpiece), along with both of the United Ghettos of America CDs and all of his mixtapes.
Gonzoe
Yukmouth briefly had a rivalry with Regime member Gonzoe over distribution of popular All Out War mixtapes, the rivalry was squashed before the third All Out War mixtape. Most say the rivalry stemmed from The Game saying Gonzoe was "riding Yukmouth's dick" referring to "bitch" in prison slang but it was really over money and Gonzoe starting his own company Blocwize Ent.
G-Unit
Yukmouth has had a rivalry with G-Unit. Yukmouth first took shots at 50 Cent on the song "Thug Lordz" with C-Bo from his 2003 release Godzilla and later collaborated with former G-Unit member Bang Em Smurf on the song "He Ain't a Thug" from the album In Thugz We Trust. Yukmouth had an ongoing feud with Spider Loc which began with an altercation at a L.A. nightclub where he was jumped by Spider Loc and his entourage, one of whom managed to steal Yukmouth's chain. Yukmouth reclaimed his chain the very next day as a mutual friend intervened. Yukmouth disses Spider Loc in many songs such as "Aaaadadamean", "Get Wild", "Im Da Shit" and "Playa Hata". In a recent interview, Yuk stated he and Spider ended the rivalry by way of a phone conversation they had.
The Game
Yukmouth first met The Game at a club stating he had a feud with 50 Cent. The Game released a diss track aimed at the rapper, entitled "I Got a Mill on It," over the "I Got 5 on It" instrumental, a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of Luniz. Yukmouth responded with the track "Game Over" using the instrumental from Young Buck's song "Let Me In" that mocked The Game's appearance on Change of Heart. The two later tried to bury the hatchet, due to a personal friend and even recorded a song together with C-Bo's protege Speedy, named "Peace". However the rivalry continued afterward, since The Game dissed Yukmouth on the "Peace" song (they recorded their verses separately). Since then, Yukmouth responded by releasing the song and music video "Game Over Part 2" over Fabolous' "Breathe" instrumental in which it parodied The Game. In the video there is a look-a-like of the rapper getting robbed and beaten up. Yukmouth claimed on the song that The Game had a tongue ring and was slapped by mogul Suge Knight. Yukmouth dissed The Game once more with the song "Wartime". Since the West Coast Peace Conference both rappers ended the feud and have recorded a song with Erick Sermon called "Across The Coast" on a Game mix cd called "The Face Of L.A.".
Afroman
Yukmouth has called out fellow California rapper Afroman on "World War 3" on his Million Dollar mixtape. Yukmouth called him a "backpack motherfucka... drunk ass, 40 oz drinkin ass nigga." After Afroman spoke on him in an interview. Afroman is rumored to have dissed Yukmouth in "Whack Rappers 2."
Numskull
Numskull is one half of the platinum selling group Luniz. After years of bad press between the duo, multiple songs that depict them saying bad things of one another, it finally happens. Numskull attends the infamous BARS awards and tells the crowd "fuck Yukmouth", and then puts a wad of money up and says "I bet 10 racks he wont come up here", and is soon after stormed up on stage by Yukmouth's Regime member, the late Pretty Black. Two diss tracks are later released, one of which was released on Yukmouth's "Lord Of War" mixtape titled "I dont miss my dawgs".
Yukmouth revealed many new details about the Numskull beef and how Luniz were formed. Among other things, he stated that "the group was an idea he came up with while in prison, that he came up with the logo and the names Luniz, Yukmouth and Numskull". He stated that before Luniz, Numskull was rapping under the name "The Skinny One" but was prompted by Yukmouth to change his stage name.
Squashed Beef
Yukmouth has confirmed that he had ended his beef with numerous rappers.[4] Which included Daz Dillinger, The Game, Young Buck, Spider Loc, JT the Bigga Figga, and after 10 years of bad blood, Master P. Yukmouth claimed in the interview that "all beef is squashable."
Yukmouth claims that he no longer has a rivalry with 50 Cent and The Game on the track "Bloody Mary" on his latest mixtape, The City of Dope Volume 1.
In a new song titled "Misery" on Tech N9ne's collaboration album Misery Loves Kompany, Yuk raps, "They ask about the beef with Game and the Unit/squashed my beef with The Game, and do my thang with the Unit (What Up Buck!)".
Discography
Albums
Studio
* Thugged Out: The Albulation
o Released: November 3, 1998
o Chart position[1]: #40 Top 200, #8 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification: Gold[2]
o U.S. sales: 500,000+
o Worldwide sales:
* Thug Lord: The New Testament
o Released: March 27, 2001
o Chart position[1]: #71 Top 200, #17 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification: Gold
o U.S. sales: 0,5 million+[citation needed]
o Worldwide sales:
* Godzilla
o Released: July 22, 2003
o Chart position[1]: #112 Top 200, #21 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:1x platnimun[citation needed]
o Worldwide sales:
* Million Dollar Mouthpiece
o Released: February 12, 2008
o Chart position[1]: #46 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, #13 Top Rap Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
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o Singles: "Hey Boy"
Collaborations
* Block Shit
o With Tha Gamblaz
o Released: 2001
o Chart position
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* In Thugz We Trust
o With C-Bo as Thug Lordz
o Released: March 30, 2004
o Chart position[1]: #47 Top Heatseekers, #63 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
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* In Thugz We Trust The Mixtape
o With C-Bo as Thug Lordz
o Released: 2005
o Chart position
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* Trilogy
o With C-Bo & Spice 1 as Thug Lordz
o Released: 2006
o Chart position:
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* Killa Thugs
o With Killa Klump
o Released: November 7, 2006
o Chart position:
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* I'm Good
o With Killa Klump
o Released: 2006
o Chart position:
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* 100 Racks
o With Messy Marv
o Released: December 5, 2006
o Chart position:
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Compilation
* United Ghettos of America
o Released: July 16, 2002
o Chart position:
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* United Ghettos of America Vol. 2
o Released: May 4, 2004
o Chart position: #44 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[1]
o RIAA certification:
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* United Ghettos of America: Eye Candy
o Released: July 17, 2007
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
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[edit] Mixtapes
* Million Dollar Mixtape
o Released: 2005
o Label: Godzilla Ent.
* The City Of Dope Vol. 1
o Released: 2007
o Label: Godzilla Ent.
* Lord of War
o Released: 2007
o Label: Godzilla Ent.