It wasn’t until “Unsung” released a documentary on YoYo in 2015 that she felt people finally understood her story. She was known as one of the first female rappers to take a stand denouncing sexism in hip-hop music. She founded the Intelligent Black Woman’s Coalition and has been advocating for women since the ’90s. As an activist, YoYo appeared at the White House with U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, aka “Auntie Maxine,” to speak out against the government’s attempts to censor rap music.
YoYo has appeared in numerous films and television shows, such as Boyz n the Hood, Menace to Society and “New York Undercover,” and she had role on the television show “Martin,” playing Keylolo, the sidekick of comedian Martin Lawrence’s alter ego Sheneneh. “Most of these students today recognize me as Keylolo,” she said, smiling.
YoYo shares that she came to a point of transition in her life whe she felt like she had nothing. “I felt like I was living a contradiction of character,” she said.
She left the music business thinking she would never return. “God told me, ‘I am going to take everything from you and show you that you are great with nothing.’ ”
YoYo reached out to Theresa Price, the founder of Black College Expo™, to see how she could be involved.
“Without Dr. Price saying yes, I would have not leveled up,” YoYo said. “Being with the Black College Expo challenged me. … The more and more I trusted God, he took me into bigger spaces.”
YoYo now appears on the reality TV shows “Love & Hip Hop Hollywood” and has a new single, “Out of Control.” She also has a new grandson, Kai Kinsley, and she is a proud mother of 25-year-old Tiffany and 16-year-old Sanai.
She is in a good place, adding, “All I can say is look at God, and thank you Black College Expo.”
