Sir Jinx, Yo-Yo and Ice Cube
Yo-Yo and Ice Cube
Tupac Shakur and Yo-Yo
DJ Chilly Chill and Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo and Method Man
Yo-Yo in Boyz n the Hood
Yolanda Whitaker was born on August 4, 1971 in South Central Los Angles, California. The third of Denise and Kenneth Whitaker's six children, Yolanda's family grew even larger when her mother, who'd separated from her father, who'd moved to nearby Gardenia, adopted five more children.
Whitaker developed an interest in poetry while in junior high school. While attending George Washington Preparatory High School, she formed an all-girl rap group and began participating in rap battles with other students and competing in local talent shows. She caught the attention of NWA-co-founder and newly solo rapper O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson, who invited her, using the stage name Yo-Yo, to record the collaboration "It's A Man's World", which is featured on his debut solo album, 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. However, Whitaker's mother confronted Jackson over her objection to his song "A Bitch is a Bitch".
Nevertheless, Jackson secured Whitaker a recording deal with EastWest Records. Whitaker's first offering for the label was her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode, released on March 19, 1991. The album features Whitaker's signature song, "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo", another collaboration with Jackson. Motherlode features production by Jackson, Derrick "Chilly Chill" Baker, Delvon "Del the Funky Homosapien" Jones and Anthony "Sir Jinx" Wheaton. That same year, Whitaker appeared alongside Jackson in the Oscar-nominated film Boyz n the Hood.
On the subsequent tour, Whitaker met and befriended Tupac Shakur, who, at the time, was working as a dancer and roadie for Oakland rap group Digital Underground. As the two got better acquainted, the friendship developed into a romantic relationship.
Following the 1992 LA riots, Whitaker was invited by Congresswoman Maxine Waters to testify during congressional hearings on "gangsta rap" and its influence. Whitaker's second album, Black Pearl, was released on June 23, 1992. Unlike Make Way for the Motherlode, Pearl, which proved to be a commercial failure, was not overseen by Jackson.
Whitaker's third album, You Better Ask Somebody, executive-produced by Jackson, was released on June 22, 1993. The album contains another duet between the two -- "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme". That same year, Whitaker made the first of several appearances as Keylolo on the sitcom "Martin". She also appeared in the critically-acclaimed film Menace II Society. Her collaboration with dancehall singer Patra, "Romantic Call", the music video for which also features Shakur, was released in 1993 as well.
The first of Whitaker's two daughters, Tiffany, was born in 1994.
After hearing the news that ex-boyfriend Tupac Shakur had been gunned down in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, Whitaker flew to Nevada and visited him briefly before he succumbed to his injuries on September 13. Whitaker's fourth album, Total Control, was released on October 29.
Whitaker's fifth album, Ebony, scheduled to hit stores on September 29, 1998 was never released as several of the guest appearances set to be included were never cleared. However, the intended first single, "Iz it All Still Good?", featuring Gerald Levert, did manage to be released and was accompanied by a music video featuring Whitaker's new, glamorous look.
In 2003, Whitaker gave birth to her second daughter, Sanai. Whitaker married Highland Park, Michigan mayor DeAndre Windom on August 17, 2013.
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