Yo! Majesty is an American hip hop group consisting of singer and rappers Shunda K and Shon B, produced by UK-based electro group HardfeelingsUK.[1]
Yo! Majesty | |
|---|---|
 Yo! Majesty's Shunda K performing at Sonar 2008, Barcelona, Spain | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Dirty rap, alternative hip hop, electro |
| Labels | GMEQCA/Matriarch Records |
| Members | Shunda K Shon B |
| Website | yomajesty |
Yo! Majesty was mentioned as one of the 'Top 11 new bands of 2008' by NME magazine[2] as well as one of the '25 Most Exciting Bands in America'.[3]
Biography
editYo! Majesty's current members are W,[4] Shon Burt, stage name Shon B, and LaShunda Flowers, known as Shunda K. The group members are openly lesbian[5] and self-identify as Christian.[6] Their sound is a hybrid of crunk, Baltimore club music,[7][8] and electro,[9] and they have garnered comparisons to punk for their defiance of labels and creation of new sounds.[10]
Rappers Shunda K and Shon B started out as a duo named Yeah Majesty before they were rounded out circa 2001 by gospel-raised vocalist Jwl B.[10] They started collaborating with London-based electronica duo HardfeelingsUK (David Alexander and Richard Winstanley), who supplied Yo! Majesty with their electro-rap club beats, in 2002.[11] After a hiatus during Shunda K's marriage, Yo! Majesty regrouped.[10] Once they established a name for themselves on the underground club circuit, both in the US and the UK, Yo! Majesty self-released their first official release, the Yo EP, in 2006.[12]
They "made a splash" at SXSW in 2007[13] and that year toured alongside CSS and Gossip.[10] Yo! Majesty has also toured with Peaches and was featured in her parody video of the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" called "My Dumps".[14] The group signed with Domino Records in 2007,[15] and the label released an EP and full-length record by the band in 2008, which included a track produced by Basement Jaxx.[16]
A documentary based on the band, Das Wassup, directed by Johannes Schaff, was released in 2017.
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Yo EP | Out There |
| 2008 | Kryptonite Pussy EP | Domino |
| 2008 | Futuristically Speaking... Never Be Afraid | |
| 2020 | Bumpin' Too Hard f/ Basement Jaxx Single | GMEQCA/Matriarch Records |
| 2021 | FLEX Maxi Single | |
| 2021 | Make Em' Regret EP' | |
| 2021 | Return of The Matriarch Album | |
| 2022 | The Belgian Stallion FLEX Remix
|
Appears on
edit| Year | Song | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Pony Girl" | Dub Gabriel – Anarchy & Alchemy | Destroy All Concepts |
| 2008 | "Sweat Shop | Stainless Style by Neon Neon | Lex |
| 2011 | "Flavor" featuring Yo Majesty | Carbon Copy by ★STAR GUiTAR |
Singles
edit- 2009: "Don't Let Go"
- 2021: "FLEX Maxi Single"
- 2022: "FLEX - The Belgian Stallion Remix"
References
edit- ^ Robson, Eddie. "Yo Majesty". New-noise.net. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Richards, Sam (January 12, 2008). "New Noise 2008". NME.
- ^ Elan, Priya (August 2, 2008). "Reborn Indie USA". NME.
- ^ "Jwl B Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
- ^ Andrews, Gem (March 30, 2009). "Jail, money, music and ex-bandmates: Yo! Majesty's Jwl B talks to Lesbilicious". Lesbilicious. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
- ^ "Spreading the word: Yo! Majesty". Gay News Network. December 30, 2011. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ Mackay, Emily (2008). "NME Reviews: Yo! Majesty: Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid". NME.
- ^ Kharas, Kev (September 29, 2008). "Yahoo! Music Album Review:Yo Majesty - Futuristically_Speaking_Never_Be_Afraid". Yahoo Music. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ O'Dair, Marcus (September 5, 2008). "Ones to Watch: Yo Majesty". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Castillo, Arielle (May 21, 2008). "Yo! Majesty: "Kyptonite Pussy" and God". Miami New Times.
- ^ Luger, Kara (May 1, 2008). "Yo! Majesty hype (and are hyped about) their upcoming album". Rocky Mountain Chronicle.
- ^ "Band to watch: Yo Majesty". Stereogum. December 13, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Hawthorne, Mark (October 14, 2008). "Music: Yo Majesty: Futuristically Speaking… Never Be Afraid". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Elan, Priya (April 14, 2009). "Peaches: sex and the seminal woman". The Sunday Times. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
- ^ Thompson, Paul (September 21, 2007). "Yo Majesty Sign to Domino Records, Tour". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Maher, Dave (June 18, 2008). "Yo Majesty Enlist Basement Jaxx for Domino Debut". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
External links
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