This isn't the first you hear about Miami native YEYO, and it certainly won't be the last. The rapper and producer has been grinding for the last few years, and continues to show nothing but promise.
He first started out with Puerto Rican rap group the Shanghai Assassinz back in '99, but really broke out as one third of the bilingual hip-hop group The D.E.Y. (along with rapper Divine and vocalist Elan), who appeared on Paula DeAnda's hit "Walk Away," and featured prominently on MTV.
But he's been doing his solo thing for some time now, and work out of his The Art of Sound Group has made some waves. Enough waves to catch the ear of famed producer/artist A.B. Quintanilla, who recruited YEYO to join him, DJ Kane (formerly of A.B.'s first Kumbia Kings incarnation), and T. Lopez (off Cash Money) on his new single, "Mentirosa." It's the second single off Quintanilla's recently released La Vida de un Genio. "His management reached out to me to get on an English record they did called 'I'll Be There For You,'" explains YEYO. "And after I recorded my verse for that song, they invited me to be on 'Mentirosa.' I heard it, loved it and quickly wrote and recorded my verses right there on the spot."
It's no small feat to be tapped for talent by Quintanilla, who's not
only credited with the extended success of Kumbia Kings, Kumbia All
Stars and, most recently, A.B. Quintanilla's All Stars, but also having
played a prominent role in the rampant success of his late sister Selena,
whom he produced. "I am a BIG Selena fan, along with the rest of
America," says YEYO. "So it feels insane to think that I'm working with
her brother, the man responsible for all her hits!" Of the
experience, he goes on to say, "It's really surreal. I've been doing the
promotional run with them to support the Mentirosa record and the
feedback has been amazing."
But appearing on Quintanilla's latest
single isn't all the rapper has cooking. He's also preparing to drop
his next two English singles, "Bad Boy" and "I'll Take You There," and plans to drop a new Spanish single once the "Mentirosa" promo is
wrapped, and then dropping his solo debut Life of a Warrior in November. He's also working on a single and video with Omniscient featuring Locos por Juana and One Chot.
