Ying Yang Twins

The Ying Yang Twins’, D-Roc and Kaine, contribution to hip-hop culture is heard as far back as 1998 when DJ Smurf aka Mr. Collipark, invited the duo to be part of his third album, Dead Crunk. Packed with southern bass songs and artists. “One On One” would be the first recorded Ying Yang Twins song. In 1998 Lil Jon featured the duo on his So So Def Bass All-Stars Compilation, Volume III. The song, “True City Thugs” was a hit on the streets and could be heard in local strip clubs as well as through D-boy’s Heavy Chevy amplifiers and speakers. Shortly thereafter, the Twins released the two-song single “Whistle While You Twurk” and B-sided “Bring Yo Azz Outdoz” (2000), another underground hit. When the East Atlanta representatives released the Billboard-charting, strip-club anthem “Whistle While You Twurk” the duo managed to garner a loyal following located primarily in the South. “Whistle While You Twurk” moved over 200,000 units. But many hip-hoppers thought it was a wrap for the Ying Yang Twins (YYT) when the estate that owns Snow White’s “Whistle While You Work” legally forced them to change the song because the Twins neglected to clear the sample. Thug Walkin’, their debut album via Universal, sold over 100,000 units but made little noise on the Billboard. Ultimately, KOCH came knocking in 2002 and offered the Twins and their loyal producer and company CEO, Mr. Collipark, an opportunity to release Alley: The Return of the Ying Yang Twins. Complete with adrenaline-heavy beats sure to get the club crunk, the album included “Say I Yi Yi”, another southern banger. Even though it lacked promotion, Alley sold over 400,000 units; it fell short of gold status as the YYT production was misunderstood by an industry who really couldn’t grasp the YYT concept. Fast-forward to 2002 when Lil Jon and The Eastside Boyz invited the Twins to record “Get Low” for their double platinum-selling album, Kings of Crunk. Heard from strip-clubs to sorority houses, “Get Low” was the defining moment of the YYT career. Dissatisfied with previous record companies, Mr. Collipark moved the Ying Yang Twins over to TVT Records. With all necessary elements in place, Me & My Brother, their TVT-debut, is now platinum history. U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) is the Twins’ senior album. It is also the most-anticipated creation from The Source Magazine’s Group of the Year 2004.

Named after the Chinese symbol for light and dark (Yin and Yang), the Atlanta duo established themselves as urban music’s most dominant twosome thanks to their ability to crank out hit after hit. Whether working with hometown super-producers Lil’ Jon or Mr. Collipark or pairing up with pop princess Britney Spears, the Ying Yang Twins bring the fun back into music. Their success can be attributed to infectious hooks like, “From the windoooooow, to the wall!” or their pushing of the creative envelope on songs like “Wait (The Whisper Song)”, which has turned out to be a Billboard staple. Indeed, the Twins have successfully muzzled the detractors and outlasted their many critics to become platinum-plus fixtures on the pop charts.

“When we first dropped ‘Whistle While You Twurk,’ the world thought we were one-hit wonders,” says D-Roc, recalling the initial reaction to the group’s breakout single. “But now the world know we’re creative music makers. And we don’t just make music, we make hits.” Kaine goes even further. “Me and my brother aren’t really rappers, we’re entertainers,” he explains. “A lot of people get it confused and think that the crunk thing is all that the south is about. But we just make good music, period. It doesn’t matter what race or creed you are, we can give you that song that gets you hype in the club.”

And you know it’s true. Whether you got low to “Get Low,” added a little personal flavor to “Salt Shaker,” or did a little A-Town stomp to “Whats Happenin,’” chances are that at some point in the last two years you have hit the floor to a Ying Yang Twins jam. Now, fresh off the platinum-certified success of their third studio album (and their CD/DVD compilation My Brother & Me, second release through independent powerhouse TVT Records), the Twins are back and ready to give more, but with a slight twist.

This fact is expressed more so on United State of Atlanta (U.S.A.) than any other YYT release. Far from a CD of nebulous songs about shakin’ ass, U.S.A. is an impressive collection of tracks that will delight and surprise the Ying Yang Twins’ legions of fans. “We’re still giving you tracks to make you move in the club, but we’ve also got something else we gotta show people,” says Kaine. “We want to let people know that we don’t party and go to the club all the time. We do experience pain, hurt and sorrow, and we know how to address that in songs that be jamming.” Of course they do. As quickly as they get raunchy about their bedroom tricks and secrets on “Wait”, “Pull My Hair” and “Bedroom Boom” featuring Avant, the trilogy of the