Tony Yayo

Jalen Rose Credits Tony Yayo For “You Can’t See Me” Gesture

by

Jalen Rose is asking fans to give Tony Yayo his flowers. The request follows the explosive women’s college basketball national championship game between LSU and Iowa. In the final seconds of the game, LSU player Angel Reese made the “You can’t see me” gesture towards Iowa star Caitlin Clark. Clark herself performed the gesture earlier in the tournament during a game against Louisville. Since the game, many people on social media have incorrectly credited actor and wrestler John Cena with creating the gesture. However, Rose points out that it was actually created by Tony Yayo.

HipHopWolf shared a video of Rose defending Yayo earlier this week. Yayo first made the gesture in the video for his 2005 song, “So seductive.” John Cena openly admits to being a fan of both Yayo and the video. Cena liked the gesture so much that he began using it early on his career with WWE. Rose urged those crediting Cena with creating the gesture to learn their history. “All I know is this, If you think John Cena made that up, you clearly know nothing about our culture or Hip Hop,” Rose said. “Please give Tony Yayo his flowers.”

Rose Shares Thoughts After Controversial Title Game

Jalen Rose is one of many people who have chimed in on the subject since the championship game on Sunday. Caitlin Clark defenders have accused Reese of being classless for her late-game showboating. Others have suggested a racist double standard, pointing out the difference in reaction to Reese and Clarke’s use of the gesture. Crediting Cena for the gesture Yayo created has given way to yet another discussion of race and media representation. Therefore, Sunday’s fiery title decider and the conversation around it will likely go down as one of the most controversial moments in NCAA history.

For Yayo, it’s not the first time he has been overlooked. The Queens native was a founding member of G-Unit along with lifelong friends 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks. The group released its debut album, Beg For Mercy in 2003, With classics like “Stunt 101” and “Wanna Get to Know You,” the group quickly became the hottest act in hip hop. However, Yayo was incarcerated before the album could be recorded. He was replaced on the album by Tennessee native, Young Buck. Subsequently, Yayo has often not received the credit he deserves for his contributions to the history of hip-hop.

[Via]

Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese’s ‘You Can’t See Me’ Taunts Are A Reminder That Tony Yayo Is Behind This

by
Angel Reese Caitlin Clark 2023
Getty Image

Angel Reese notched her 34th double-double in the NCAA Division I national championship game — the most in one season in Division I history — and boosted the LSU Tigers to an historic 102-85 win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The Tigers’ 102 points are the most-ever in an NCAA women’s title game, and the result was the first-ever national championship for LSU in men’s or women’s basketball. So, yeah, Reese (the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, by the way) was rightfully feeling herself.

People are mad — and telling on themselves in their racist and sexist outrage.

The backstory: Clark hit the “you can’t see me” during Iowa’s 97-83 Elite Eight trouncing of Louisville. She put up a triple-double with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Mostly everybody loved her confidence. But when Reese served Clark the “you can’t see me” as time was expiring in the national championship, Reese was ridiculed for being too cocky or whatever.

“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player, for sure, but I don’t take disrespect lightly,” Reese said on ESPN afterward.

The backstory to the backstory: The one thing everybody seemed to agree on was crediting John Cena with inventing the “you can’t see me,” and Cena chimed in after Clark’s celebration in the Elite Eight. But it turns out the discourse over its usage was just as misguided as the understanding of its origin. Before Cena popularized the catchphrase and hand gesture in WWE, there was G-Unit’s Tony Yayo in the “So Seductive” video featuring 50 Cent. (For what it’s worth, Cena has credited Yayo in the past.)

Look no further than the 32-second mark:

“LISTEN JOHN CENA DID NOT INVENT THE ‘YOU CAN’T SEE ME,’” The Kid Mero tweeted. “TONY YAYO DID AND IDK WHY HES NOT MORE VOCAL ABOUT IT.”

Another tweeter noted, “At the end of the day, Tony Yayo is the cause of all of this LMAO.”

As for Clark and Reese, Clark wasn’t bothered by Reese’s excellent taunt, and Reese used the moment to speak on the purpose behind her unabashed authenticity.

“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said during her postgame presser. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this was for the girls who look like me, that’s gonna speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you, and that’s who I did it for tonight.”

She continued, “It was bigger than me tonight. It was bigger than me. Twitter is gonna go on a rage every time, and I mean, I’m happy. I feel like I helped grow women’s basketball this year. I’m super happy and excited, so I’m looking forward to celebrating and then next season.”

In other words, you will see Angel Reese.

Nas Likes To Do This While Touring, Says Tony Yayo

by

Tony Yayo explained to VladTV what it was like touring with Nas for the Nastradamus promo tour, back in 1999. This was Yayo’s first tour and was there with 50 Cent. He thought that the tour was going to have nothing but partying with women, drugs, and alcohol. While there was plenty of that around thanks to Jungle, Nas was not too interested in it. This was six years into Nas’s career. All of the excitement of tours must have run off of him by then

Instead, Nas was more interested in reading. He really wasn’t smoking that much weed, but instead spent most of the downtime with his nose in a book. Yayo figures that his reading is what made him so good with lyrics. Nine years ago, Nas made an AMA on Reddit and was asked what his favorite book was. The answer was Richard Pryor’s autobiography, Pryor Convictions. He also gave a couple of more suggestions, with Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Rick James’s memoirs. He appears to have an affinity towards autobiographical books that talk about people’s rough lives, especially if it involves drug abuse. He is not just reading whatever is new and popular, but also going back to try to find new angles for his lyrics.

Nas Loves Books

50 Cent also talked to MTV previously about what Nas was like during this tour. It was the first time that somebody had ever done something for him without wanting something in return. Nas brought 50 along just to hang out on the tour bus. Later, they had a falling out when 50 mocked Nas in 2005 during his song “Piggy Back” for getting a tattoo of his now ex-wife, Kellis.

However, they had since squashed the beef. Last year, 50 even had this to say. “I love Nas. He’s really the one. He is the guy, the lyrical — we was figuring out how to do it.” In a recent interview with Billboard, 50 revealed that he was going to be working with Nas for the upcoming King’s Disease 4 LP. However, we do not know much more about that at this point in time.

Tony Yayo Slams Lil Uzi Vert’s Infatuation With Satan: “I Believe In God”

by

Lil Uzi Vert’s recent comments about City Girls JT didn’t win over Tony Yayo. TMZ recently caught up with Yayo to discuss Uzi’s controversial lyrics from an unreleased song he debuted at Rolling Loud. Though Yayo chuckled, he made it clear that he was not down with the devil in any way. However, he didn’t necessarily condemn Lil Uzi Vert for his choice of lyrics. “I believe in God. I don’t know about that stuff,” he said with a smirk on his face. “That’s crazy,” he added. 

When the interviewer asked if Tony Yayo thought Lil Uzi Vert took it too far, Yayo said, “That’s a little too crazy for me.” He explained that he’s a man of God who grew up in a church afterward when he was asked to give advice to Uzi’s girlfriend, JT. “For me, I believe in God. I’m very religious. Came up in a church so anything that got to do with Satan, I can’t rock with,” he said. However, he doesn’t necessarily think Uzi’s infatuation with the devil is confirmation he’s part of the Illuminati, which many have suspected over the years.

Lil Uzi Vert’s Lyrics

The lyrics stem from an unreleased record that’s presumably intended for Lil Uzi Vert’s forthcoming project, Pink Tape. The rapper performed the record at Rolling Loud California this week where he raps, “I made a City Girl believe in Satan.” Though JT hasn’t responded to the bars, it seems that many people have expressed their concern for her, from fans to fellow artists who she’s collaborated with in the past.

Summer Walker was among those who took issue with Uzi’s bars. The singer shared her reaction on her Instagram page where she asked whether Uzi or any other rappers with similar content have ever actually encountered a demon in their lives. “ “I be genuinely curious have these people ever seen or heard a demon before…?” she asked.“I feel like if you have [encountered a demon] you’d stop playin’,” she continued. “Really nothing funny or cute about it. May God be with y’all.” Check out Tony Yayo’s comments about Uzi above. 

Tony Yayo: Lloyd Banks Is A Mix Of Biggie’s Bars & Tupac’s Work Ethic

by

Lloyd Banks remains one of the fiercest lyricists to emerge out of the East Coast. Though he never became a mainstream success in the same way as 50 Cent, he never held back whenever he stepped in the booth with his G-Unit peers. Unfortunately, his relationship with Fif deteriorated over time and it took a minute for him to return to the spotlight. In recent years, he’s dished out collaborations alongside members of Griselda and dropped off two of his own projects, firmly reminding the masses that he still holds the title of the Punch Line King.

Despite his distance from 50 Cent, his relationship with other members of the G-Unit camp isn’t as fractured. Tony Yayo, for instance, recently tapped Banks for his latest project, The Loyal. Banks shows out on the project for the record, “Rocket Chamber,” which dropped as a single. The two clearly haven’t lost their chemistry in the booth and brought forth an excellent collab that hopefully leads to more music from the G-Unit rappers in the future.

Tony Yayo Compares Lloyd Banks To The GOATs

Lloyd Banks might not occupy the spotlight but he never disappoints when he steps in front of the mic. Tony Yayo recently sat down with DJ Vlad who, despite his differences with Banks, had nothing but praise for the Rotten Apple MC’s contributions to The Loyal. “Banks is a show-and-prove type of guy,” Yayo explained to Vlad. In terms of his reclusive nature, Yayo described his collaborator as an “anti-industry” individual who is far more focused on the music than the business-side of things.

Though he might be quiet for the most part, Yayo explained that Banks has no shortage of music sitting in his vault. “I go to the studio, he’ll play me 100 records,” he explained before comparing Banks to both Biggie and ‘Pac. “It’s like his bars are something like Biggie but he writes like Tupac. I never met a guy like that besides [Eminem].” It seems as though there could be more music from Yayo and Banks soon as the former said he has another project coming out shortly.

Tony Yayo Gears Up For “The Loyal” Mixtape With New “Clown You When You’re Down” Single

by

It’s been a minute since Tony Yayo gave his fans any solo music, but this weekend, the G-Unit rapper surprised the masses with a new single. As he prepares for his next album, The Loyal, the long-time lyricist is reminding the world that he’s still got it on “Clown You When You’re Down.”

The release comes in at just over two minutes and finds the 44-year-old laying down bars over a style of production that’s unusually different for him. The accompanying visual sees the artist enjoying the crisp winter weather while cruising on a snowmobile. In a recent Instagram post, Yayo reveals he took a trip to Thunderbay, Ontario in Canada for filming.

“Out here snowmobiling in a MINK @DarucciLeather. Where they do that at?” the “So Seductive” hitmaker asked his followers in the caption. “THUNDER BAY we outside TONIGHT.” When sharing the post last week, Yayo didn’t share that it was for a music video, though we now know what he was really getting into during his trip up north.

In another upload, 50 Cent’s frequent collaborator confirmed that The Loyal will be arriving in the near future. “DROPPING FEBRUARY SOON,” he promised readers, though no specific date was given. “Will be available on all streaming platforms,” he later added.

At this time, “Clown You When You’re Down” has only made its way onto YouTube, but that hasn’t stopped fans from listening and praising the rap star. “Glad Yayo is back, it’s his time,” one user wrote in the comments. “One of the most loyal guys in the game.”

Tony Yayo attends the G-Unit Fan Meet and Greet at Bred Shop on March 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

Watch Tony Yayo’s “Clown You When You’re Down” music video exclusively on YouTube below. Afterward, tell us your thoughts on the rapper’s big return in the comments. Additionally, if you’re in the mood for more song recommendations, you can find them on our Fire Emoji playlist.

Quotable Lyrics:

N*ggas clown you when you down
Joke when you go broke
This the realest shit I ever wrote
I always been the underdog, underrated
I innovate my dreams with no limits

[Via]

Tony Yayo Addresses Decline Of G-Unit

by

Tony Yayo recently spoke on the decline of G-Unit during a conversation with DJ Vlad. Moreover, the two spoke about the mental health struggles that go into the music industry, especially dealing with falling off. However, the New York rapper acknowledged that all good things come to and end, and he had to handle that.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 02: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (L) and Tony Yayo (C) perform during the “Power” season two premiere event with a special performance from 50 Cent, G-Unit and other guests on June 2, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Starz)

“I come from the bad,” Yayo expressed. “If I lose it all, I could just kind of hustle up and get it back again. That’s just how it is. Life has its ups and downs, and I had to learn that. I’m not gonna be on a high horse. G-Unit: I remember the rollercoaster was going up. But once the rollercoaster go down… people are still going to kiss 50’s ass, ’cause he’s 50 Cent. But once our G-Unit rollercoaster, went down, everybody was different.

“Motherf***ers wasn’t answering the phone, motherf***ers wouldn’t call you, see how you’re doing,” he continued. “These are the same people you’re flying around the world. You’re taking care of their family, you’re giving their family money. They’re in your house, they’re eating your food, your eggs, they go in your cars. But, you know, life has its ups and downs. You realize who’s real and who’s not in them situations.”

Meanwhile, in the same interview, Yayo explained how 50 Cent and many other rappers are damaged by their tough lives.

“Listen, [50] didn’t know who his father was, and his moms was in the streets, and she got killed,” he told Vlad. “There’s no parents there, your grandparents are older, you’re damaged, bro. You was outside, the streets taught n***as. A lot of shootings you see… You see an 18-year-old kid stab his 16-year-old girlfriend somewhere in New York because he thought she was cheating. 

“It’s what they see from parents,” he went on. “It’s f***ed up for certain places. Sometimes, you want to help and try to fix people, your mans say he do s**t for the youth. That’s real s**t. ‘Cause that’s where it starts at, trying to help them, but some people can’t be helped. They just f***in’ bad seeds, bruh.”

Still, what do you think of Tony Yayo’s thoughts on the decline of G-Unit? However you may feel, let us know in the comments and check out the interview clip below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest stories from Tony Yayo, 50 Cent, and the rest of the G-Unit camp.

Tony Yayo Speaks On 50 Cent And Other Rappers Being “Damaged”

by

Tony Yayo recently spoke about how 50 Cent is one of many damaged rappers working in the industry today. While many consult the New York rapper for his interesting takes and stories, he opened up about the struggle many rappers face. During an interview with DJ Vlad, he explained how artists who come from the streets face an uphill battle.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – JANUARY 30: Tony Yayo attends Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Star Ceremony on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame on January 30, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Furthermore, Yayo used the “In Da Club” rapper as an example.

“Listen [50] didn’t know who his father was, and his moms was in the streets, and she got killed,” he remarked. “There’s no parents there, your grandparents are older, you’re damaged, bro. You was outside, the streets taught n***as. A lot of shootings you see… You see an 18-year-old kid stab his 16-year-old girlfriend somewhere in New York because he thought she was cheating.

“It’s what they see from parents,” he continued. “It’s f***ed up for certain places. Sometimes, you want to help and try to fix people, your mans say he do s**t for the youth. That’s real s**t. ‘Cause that’s where it starts at, trying to help them, but some people can’t be helped. They just f***in’ bad seeds, bruh.”

However, in the same interview with VladTV, he also remarked a lighter story about 50 spitting his first verse.

“‘Son said he was from O.T., sold ‘leven at O.Z.,’” he continued rapping. “‘His man brought him to me, but he ain’t really know B. Said it was time, dude was a cop, he was just trying to pop to put the new beams on the drop.’ That’s all I remember. But that rhyme to me was like, that’s when I was like, “Nah.” He had other s**t, but that was in my man’s basement… and I was just like ‘Yo, this n***a’s getting better by the minute.”

Still, what did you think of Tony Yayo’s remarks about damaged rappers? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay logged into HNHH for the latest insights, reflections, and tough conversations from titans of the hip-hop game.

Tony Yayo Raps 50 Cent’s First Verse

by

Tony Yayo rapped 50 Cent’s first rhyme in a recent interview with VladTV. Even though it was years and years ago, Yayo still remembered much of his first impression of Fif. Moreover, they also talked about the relationship between hustling and making music, and how 50 moved in both lanes.

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 30: Recording artist Tony Yayo celebrates his Birthday at Club Angels NYC on March 30, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

“You actually remember 50 Cent’s first rhyme,” DJ Vlad asked. When the Queens rapper confirmed so, Vlad asked, “Can you spit it?”

“Yeah, it was in my man’s… basement, Rest In Peace,” the rapper began. “It was ‘The cell went stale, quarter mil’ bail, fresh out the jail, s**t is really real. N***as is locked up, man, I pray they don’t tell. A hundred man indictment, my lawyer got to fight this. N***as know I ain’t never pressed for dough. N***as know I don’t serve nobody I don’t know.

“‘Son said he was from O.T., sold ‘leven at O.Z.,’” he continued rapping. “‘His man brought him to me, but he ain’t really know B. Said it was time, dude was a cop, he was just trying to pop to put the new beams on the drop.’ That’s all I remember. But that rhyme to me was like, that’s when I was like, “Nah.” He had other s**t, but that was in my man’s basement… and I was just like ‘Yo, this n***a’s getting better by the minute.”

Furthermore, Yayo explained how 50 didn’t really start out wanting to be a rapper. Moreover, he spoke on how the Queens mogul used to hang with them when they were still hustling. In fact, he had an interesting observation on how nobody sets out to be a rapper.

“I don’t think nobody sets out to be a rapper,” he stated. “This is why I said rap is a blessing, ’cause it feeds a lot of families and a lot of kids. It helps a lot of people down, from security to assistance to the guy that holds the camera, the guy that holds the microphone, everything. We never planned out to be rappers, we just got lucky. It was in God’s plan.”

While Vlad pushed back on this idea a little bit, it was a very interesting conversation around hobbies compared to work. Moreover, the 44-year-old said that “if it was selling drugs over music, it was selling drugs,” talking about money-making.

Still, what do you think of Tony Yayo’s comments and 50 Cent’s first rhymes and verse? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, check back in with HNHH for more compelling stories from the game.