Marvin Bernard (born March 31, 1978), better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is an American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

. He is best known as a member of

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla Unit) was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released t ...

, a hip hop group he formed with his childhood friends 50 Cent and

Lloyd Banks Christopher Charles Lloyd (born April 30, 1982), better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of East Coast hip hop group G-Unit, alongside childhood friends 50 Cent and Tony Yayo. After th ...

. Yayo released his debut and only studio album, '' Thoughts of a Predicate Felon'', in 2005, which debuted at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200. His stage name is derived from the 1983 film '' Scarface'', referencing the main character

Tony Montana Antonio Montana is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1983 film ''Scarface''. This character is portrayed by Al Pacino in the film and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. Embod ...

, and Yayo, the slang word for

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

Early life

Yayo was born Marvin Bernard in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York City to Haitian parents, the youngest of three children. Bernard's parents divorced when he was 16. At age 15 he began selling drugs and dropped out of school in the tenth grade. As a child, he met his lifelong friends

and 50 Cent, and the trio eventually formed a group,

, and began working on music together, releasing a number of mixtapes in the early 2000s, including 2002's 50 Cent is the Future,

No Mercy, No Fear ''No Mercy, No Fear'' is the second mixtape by hip hop group G-Unit. It was recorded after de facto leader 50 Cent had signed a $1 million deal with Aftermath Entertainment and Shady Records following the release of his 2002 compilation album ''Gu ...

, and

God's Plan God's Plan may refer to: Theological concepts * God's plan, or the Will of God * Salvation, the saving of a soul from sin and its consequences ** Plan of salvation, a Christian concept describing God's plan to save humanity ** Plan of salvation ( ...

Music career

G-Unit

While Yayo was incarcerated in 2003,

boss 50 Cent was granted his own record label, "

G-Unit Records G-Unit Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group. Founded in 2002 by rapper 50 Cent, for the first eleven years of operation, G-Unit ran in conjunction with, and was distributed by, Interscope Records. In February 2014, ...

" by Interscope after the success of his debut studio album ''

Get Rich or Die Tryin' ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After signing wi ...

''. 50 immediately signed G-Unit members Yayo and

to the label, and eventually

Young Buck David Darnell Brown (born March 15, 1981), best known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He heads his own record label, Cashville, and was a member of the former hip hop group G-Unit. Early life Brown was born in Nashville, T ...

was signed and added to the group as the official fourth member. G-Unit released their first official group album '' Beg for Mercy'' in November 2003, which went on to be certified 4× Platinum in the United States of America.Lamy, Jonathan (December 18, 2003)
2003 Ends With a Bang!
RIAA. Accessed July 10, 2007. The album was released whilst Yayo was in prison serving time on weapons charges, but Yayo was still featured on the album. The second G-Unit album T.O.S: Terminate on Sight was released in July 2008 and went on to sell 102,000 copies in the first week.

Solo career

Though his appearances on numerous mixtapes during and upon his release from prison announced his return on a street level, it was not until the release of his debut single, "

So Seductive "So Seductive" is a song by Tony Yayo as the first single from his debut album '' Thoughts of a Predicate Felon'' (2005), it features guest vocals from 50 Cent, and was produced by Punch, who helped write the song along with Tony Yayo and 50 Ce ...

" featuring 50 Cent, that Yayo received widespread recognition. In August 2005, Tony Yayo released his debut studio album, '' Thoughts of a Predicate Felon'', debuting at No. 2 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...

. Tony Yayo has confirmed that work is in progress for his second studio album.Steve Raze (November 5, 2007)
Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo: Shooters, Part 2
. AllHipHop. Accessed November 6, 2007. No official name for the album has been decided yet. The first single from the album is "

Pass the Patron "Pass the Patron" is the first single from Tony Yayo's second studio album. The song features fellow rapper 50 Cent and was produced by Punch. The song was released as a digital download on May 20, 2010. Background The song was originally relea ...

", and it features 50 Cent. The album will be released with

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

who will both promote and distribute the album. On March 2, 2011, Yayo released the second single of off his upcoming album called, " Haters". The song features

Shawty Lo Carlos Rico Walker (March 22, 1976 – September 21, 2016), better known as Shawty Lo, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He initially came to prominence as a founding member of the Southern hip hop group D4L, and in 2000 founded D4 ...

, 50 Cent, &

Roscoe Dash Jeffery Lee Johnson Jr. (born April 2, 1990), better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his debut single " All the Way Turnt Up" (featuring Soulja Boy), which peaked at number ...

. The single was released onto Thisis50.com after being premiered on Hot 97 by

Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot 9 ...

. The single rapidly started to gain success on the urban radio charts and soon debuted on the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B chart.

Labels

Tony Yayo was signed to Interscope Records in 2003, where he released his debut album '' Thoughts of a Predicate Felon''. He was later dropped from the label in 2009.

announced a deal was signed with 50 Cent's label,

on Friday, August 13, 2010, on MTV News, in which

Label Services would distribute and promote releases on the G-Unit roster in North America including Yayo's untitled second album.

Legal issues

Felony jail time

Along with 50 Cent, Yayo was arrested on December 31, 2002, for weapons possession. He had a

Glock 20 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...

handgun and a

Colt AR-15 The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently ...

in the trunk of his car. When police discovered that Yayo had an outstanding warrant for a previous gun charge, Yayo was sentenced for bail jumping and spent a year in prison. Yayo served time in the

Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility is a minimum security shock incarceration prison in New York in the United States. The prison is located in the Village of Brocton, in Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the ...

and was paroled on January 8, 2004. Department ID Number: 03-A-2339 The next day, he was arrested for possessing a forged passport and served time in federal prison until February 24, 2004. When Yayo was incarcerated, G-Unit and Eminem began a campaign called "Free Yayo". Yayo has said he was unaware of all the attention the campaign was getting until he saw Eminem wearing a "Free Yayo" T-shirt on stage at the

2003 Grammy Awards The 45th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2002. Musicians accomplishments ...

. The first song Yayo appeared on after being released from prison was "Ain't No Click'" from

' debut album ''

The Hunger For More ''The Hunger for More'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Lloyd Banks, released via Interscope Records and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. Originally scheduled for a May 25, 2004 release, the album was ultimately released on June 29, 2004 as l ...

'' in June 2004.

Assault charge

On March 24, 2007, Tony Yayo was arrested for allegedly assaulting the 14-year-old son of Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond. Yayo and 50 Cent were accused of approaching the child, with members of their entourage, and pushing him against a nearby wall. Yayo reportedly slapped the boy several times and said "Fuck Czar Entertainment". Yayo pleaded "not guilty" and 50 Cent has since proven his innocence with video footage showing him at his

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

mansion at the time of the alleged incident. Tony Yayo made his first court appearance on the morning of April 25, 2007, in New York. The case was adjourned to July 24. Tony Yayo's lawyer has expressed his belief that Yayo is innocent and commented on the situation in an interview with MTV: On April 18, 2007, the house of Tony Yayo's mother was "sprayed with bullets". The attack is believed to be in connection with Tony Yayo's house arrest. Yayo references the attack on the G-Unit song "Straight Out of Southside", off ''T.O.S.'', the group's second album. On July 24, 2007, Tony Yayo attended a court hearing regarding his alleged assault. The prosecution offered him a nine-month prison sentence if he pleaded guilty which he rejected. Prosecutors dropped the charges in February 2008. The mother of Rosemond's son sued 50 Cent and Yayo two months later.

Discography

;Studio albums *'' Thoughts of a Predicate Felon'' (2005) ;Collaborative albums * '' Beg for Mercy'' (with

) (2003) * ''

T·O·S (Terminate on Sight) ''T·O·S (Terminate on Sight)'' is the second and final studio album by rap group G-Unit. It was the group's first album in five years since their previous album, '' Beg for Mercy''.Slava Kuperstein (February 5, 2008)50 Cent Speaks on New Mixtape ...

'' (with

) (2008) ;Mixtapes * "Raw N Uncut: G-Unit Radio Part 11: Hosted By Mike Epps & Eminem" (February 2005) * "Tony's Home: 1-900-HOMICIDE: Hosted By Big Mike" (February 2006) * "Finally Off Papers: G-Unit Radio Part 23: Hosted By Snoop From The Wire" (March 2007) * "The World Is Not Enough: The G-Unity Edition" (March 2007) * "Shadyville Season: Welcome To Shadyville Part 2: Hosted By Tony Yayo" (May 2007) * "The Preview: The Enforcer: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (August 2008) * "S.O.D.: Swammies On Deck: This Is 50: Volume 4: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (September 2008) * "Righteous Kill: You Will Respect The Gun: Hosted By DJ Superstar Jay" (September 2008) * "Black Friday: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (November 2008) * "Bloody X-Mas: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid x This is 50" (December 2008) * "Swine Flu: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid & Makazo" (May 2009) * "Swine Flu: Part 2: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (June 2009) * "Gangsta Paradise: Gangsta Grillz: Hosted By DJ Drama" (August 2009) * "Public Enimies: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (October 2009) * "Gun Powder Guru: The LP" (February 2010) * "Gun Powder Guru 2: The Remixes - Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (March 2010) * "Gun Powder Guru 3: - Hosted By DJ Superstar Jay & DJ Roughhandz" (March 2011) * "Meyer Lansky: Hosted By DJ Superstar Jay" (August 2011) * "Gun Powder Guru 4 - Hosted By DJ Superstar Jay" (September 2011) * "El Chapo" - Hosted By DJ Superstar Jay" (February 2012) * "Sex, Drugs & Hip Hop" (July 2012) * "Godfather Of The Ghetto" (June 2013) * "Hawaiian Snow (with Danny Brown)" (May 2014) * "El Chapo 2" (June 2015) * "El Chapo 3: The Great Escape" (November 2015) ;Mixtapes With G-Unit * "50 Cent is The Future G-Unit Vol. 1" (June 2002) * "No Mercy, No Fear G-Unit Vol. 2" (August 2002) * "God's Plan G-Unit Vol. 3" (November 2002) * "Automatic Gunfire G-Unit Vol. 4" (January 2003) * "Bulletproof G-Unit Vol. 5" (February 2003) * "Return Of The Body Snatchers: This Is 50: Volume 1" (February 2008) * "Elephant In The Sand: This Is 50: Volume 2" (March 2008) * "Sincerely Yours, Southside: This is 50: Volume 3" (June 2008) * "The Lost Flash Drive: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (August 2016) * "Power: Hosted By DJ Whoo Kid" (TBA)

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yayo, Tony American rappers American male rappers 1978 births Living people American rappers of Haitian descent Dumout Records artists G-Unit members G-Unit Records artists East Coast hip hop musicians People from Queens, New York Rappers from New York City Gangsta rappers African-American male rappers 21st-century American rappers