U-N-I
U-N-I was a hip hop duo from Inglewood, California consisting of Yonas 'Y-O… Read Full Bio ↴U-N-I was a hip hop duo from Inglewood, California consisting of Yonas 'Y-O' Michael and Yannick 'Thurzday' Koffi. They met in 1999 while attending St. Bernard High School. They quickly recognized each other’s talents on the basketball courts and during freestyle battles in the school’s cafeteria. In 2007 the duo released their satirically titled street album Fried Chicken & Watermelon, which sold nearly 6,000 copies, and followed this up in 2009 with the Before There Was Love mixtape and their second street album A Love Supreme. And eventually separating in 2011.
Born from the ashes of gangsta rap Los Angeles, Inglewood indie rap duo U-N-I are the talk of the Internet and guiding hip-hop's path in the city by juxtaposing music with customized fashion. The groups two MC’s 'Thurzday' and Y-O' have loaded up on accolades over the past 2 years on the strength of their observant, life-affirming rhymes that revolve around everything from limited-edition sneakers to cosmic existentialism and old-school video games to down-home musings on life, declaring their love for music while appreciating plus-size ladies and enjoying lap dances.
Though the two rappers--"Thurzday" (Yannick Koffi) and “Y-O” (Yonas Semere Michael)-- hail from an area of Los Angeles commonly associated with the trappings of violent ghetto life, their debut street album, Fried Chicken and Watermelon--powered, melodic and groovy, employing angelic strings, electro-bounce and Nintendo 64 scores--eschewed Dickies, lowriders and high-powered armory in favor of positing their lives against a greater Black experience that was at once earthly and universal.
Their progressive swagger and throwback fashion sense may initially compel comparisons to “hipsters,” but the duo’s truth is at once more complex and far simpler: Y-O has been sporting a vibrant mohawk for going on five years while Thurz notes that the group is innately fashion-conscious and not willing to sacrifice substance for style. Y-O explains, “What duo out of Cali you know looks like us? My man Thurz stays with the latest hats & kicks. I stay in thrift shops putting together $20 outfits & still walk the Red Carpet.”
True to their laid-back sneaker pimp theory, the aficionados flipped the Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M” into the popular song “K.R.E.A.M.” (Kicks Rule Everything Around Me), complete with a Do The Right Thing inspired video, garnering the attention of major shoe corporations including Adidas and Puma and landing them in the footwear department of Slam Magazine. Their other visuals--the lazy, color-rich, slow-rolling “Beautiful Day” and the genre-jumping, kaleidoscopic “Soul Hop”-- continue to play in rotation on MTV Jams and VH-1, while the duo hit MTV2’s Sucka Free for a freestyle appearance.
U-N-I’s latest offering, A Love Supreme is put forth with a “recession-proof theme” for folks who have fallen on hard times in our struggling economy (soon to be available via free via download). The effort continues the band's mission of expanding and texturizing hip-hop's conversation: tackling the lust, love and hate of relationships (“Right Now,” “Desha Dayana”), tossing crafty, whimsical odes to black actresses (“Lauren London”), dramatically dealing with the mundane aspects of struggling artistry through borderline poverty and senseless crime on the sublimely dark “Halftime.” Where Fried Chicken and Watermelon was a spontaneous and easy-going trip backed by a handful of producers, A Love Supreme is a matured and intimate journey produced entirely by west coast producer RO Blvd., who is steadily garnering acknowledgement in underground movements for his boundary-crossing inventiveness.
Yonas “Y-O” Semere Michael was raised in Seattle, Washington by an African-American mother and a father born in the Northeast African country of Eritrea (bordered by Sudan in the west and Ethiopia in the south). He moved to Inglewood in 1996 with his mom and sister, crying at the U-Haul, until he “fell in love with the palm trees, the women and the weather” of Los Angeles and fed his musical jones by ingesting west coast artists.
During Y-O’s freshmen year, he linked up with sophomore Thurzday who took the moniker from his last name “Koffi” which meant “boy born on Friday,” but flipped it so the phrase could be on the money. The two noticed they had much in common: Thurzday’s mom was from Belize; his biological father from the Ivory Coast. His stepfather was from Belize, as well, and his uncles were all DJ’s, playing soca, reggae and dancehall in the house at all times. His musical education was broadened by one of his uncles who introduced him to De la Soul via the group’s seminal 3 Feet High and Rising when Thurz was only four years old. In the seventh grade, the MC came across Redman’s funny, witty and hard Muddy Waters, which widened his ideas of what hip-hop could be. By the time the two MC’s met, they were so well versed in hip-hop lyricism that they took out upper classmen with ease during schoolyard battles.
Taking their name from the Roots' "UNIverse at War"--“you and I verse at war,” a nod to their renewed allegiance and self-confidence--Thurz and Y-O went on to open up shows artists such as The Roots, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Redman and proceeded to promote their brand via social media networks--a marketing plan that cost Thurz his day job as a statistics analyst at an actuary firm in October 2008, when his bosses monitored his internet hours and found an exorbitant amount of time spent on Okayplayer.com and Myspace. “My productivity did decrease a little bit,” Thurz admits with a giggle. “Now I'm a full-time rapper with no plans to go back to the plantation.”
For his part, Y-O, who pays his bills by driving a van full of “rugrats” from school to a childcare center says, “The entire ride consists of paper balls being thrown at the back of my head. But when I pop in our music the kids can recite all the words.”
Management and Booking: Chris London (310) 717-9004 and cl.kream@gmail.com
Born from the ashes of gangsta rap Los Angeles, Inglewood indie rap duo U-N-I are the talk of the Internet and guiding hip-hop's path in the city by juxtaposing music with customized fashion. The groups two MC’s 'Thurzday' and Y-O' have loaded up on accolades over the past 2 years on the strength of their observant, life-affirming rhymes that revolve around everything from limited-edition sneakers to cosmic existentialism and old-school video games to down-home musings on life, declaring their love for music while appreciating plus-size ladies and enjoying lap dances.
Though the two rappers--"Thurzday" (Yannick Koffi) and “Y-O” (Yonas Semere Michael)-- hail from an area of Los Angeles commonly associated with the trappings of violent ghetto life, their debut street album, Fried Chicken and Watermelon--powered, melodic and groovy, employing angelic strings, electro-bounce and Nintendo 64 scores--eschewed Dickies, lowriders and high-powered armory in favor of positing their lives against a greater Black experience that was at once earthly and universal.
Their progressive swagger and throwback fashion sense may initially compel comparisons to “hipsters,” but the duo’s truth is at once more complex and far simpler: Y-O has been sporting a vibrant mohawk for going on five years while Thurz notes that the group is innately fashion-conscious and not willing to sacrifice substance for style. Y-O explains, “What duo out of Cali you know looks like us? My man Thurz stays with the latest hats & kicks. I stay in thrift shops putting together $20 outfits & still walk the Red Carpet.”
True to their laid-back sneaker pimp theory, the aficionados flipped the Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M” into the popular song “K.R.E.A.M.” (Kicks Rule Everything Around Me), complete with a Do The Right Thing inspired video, garnering the attention of major shoe corporations including Adidas and Puma and landing them in the footwear department of Slam Magazine. Their other visuals--the lazy, color-rich, slow-rolling “Beautiful Day” and the genre-jumping, kaleidoscopic “Soul Hop”-- continue to play in rotation on MTV Jams and VH-1, while the duo hit MTV2’s Sucka Free for a freestyle appearance.
U-N-I’s latest offering, A Love Supreme is put forth with a “recession-proof theme” for folks who have fallen on hard times in our struggling economy (soon to be available via free via download). The effort continues the band's mission of expanding and texturizing hip-hop's conversation: tackling the lust, love and hate of relationships (“Right Now,” “Desha Dayana”), tossing crafty, whimsical odes to black actresses (“Lauren London”), dramatically dealing with the mundane aspects of struggling artistry through borderline poverty and senseless crime on the sublimely dark “Halftime.” Where Fried Chicken and Watermelon was a spontaneous and easy-going trip backed by a handful of producers, A Love Supreme is a matured and intimate journey produced entirely by west coast producer RO Blvd., who is steadily garnering acknowledgement in underground movements for his boundary-crossing inventiveness.
Yonas “Y-O” Semere Michael was raised in Seattle, Washington by an African-American mother and a father born in the Northeast African country of Eritrea (bordered by Sudan in the west and Ethiopia in the south). He moved to Inglewood in 1996 with his mom and sister, crying at the U-Haul, until he “fell in love with the palm trees, the women and the weather” of Los Angeles and fed his musical jones by ingesting west coast artists.
During Y-O’s freshmen year, he linked up with sophomore Thurzday who took the moniker from his last name “Koffi” which meant “boy born on Friday,” but flipped it so the phrase could be on the money. The two noticed they had much in common: Thurzday’s mom was from Belize; his biological father from the Ivory Coast. His stepfather was from Belize, as well, and his uncles were all DJ’s, playing soca, reggae and dancehall in the house at all times. His musical education was broadened by one of his uncles who introduced him to De la Soul via the group’s seminal 3 Feet High and Rising when Thurz was only four years old. In the seventh grade, the MC came across Redman’s funny, witty and hard Muddy Waters, which widened his ideas of what hip-hop could be. By the time the two MC’s met, they were so well versed in hip-hop lyricism that they took out upper classmen with ease during schoolyard battles.
Taking their name from the Roots' "UNIverse at War"--“you and I verse at war,” a nod to their renewed allegiance and self-confidence--Thurz and Y-O went on to open up shows artists such as The Roots, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Redman and proceeded to promote their brand via social media networks--a marketing plan that cost Thurz his day job as a statistics analyst at an actuary firm in October 2008, when his bosses monitored his internet hours and found an exorbitant amount of time spent on Okayplayer.com and Myspace. “My productivity did decrease a little bit,” Thurz admits with a giggle. “Now I'm a full-time rapper with no plans to go back to the plantation.”
For his part, Y-O, who pays his bills by driving a van full of “rugrats” from school to a childcare center says, “The entire ride consists of paper balls being thrown at the back of my head. But when I pop in our music the kids can recite all the words.”
Management and Booking: Chris London (310) 717-9004 and cl.kream@gmail.com
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U-N-I Lyrics
A Love Supreme You've done me wrong and I would bleed If I…
Beautiful Day (Day-aye-aye-aye-aye) (Day) (Sunshine, thank you for rain, t…
Beautiful Day Remix 小さな頃は出逢ったものすべてが ただ美しく きっと誰もが世界の真ん中で きらきら輝いてた ふと気づけば ぼやけてたフィル…
Calander Girls I love, I love, I love my calender girl Yeah, sweet…
Cali Soul B-Team Vmp It's game time baby Yea Heyeeah Great1thabandit b…
Cast' Em Out Woo, oh Yo, Rick, what you saying? Knock 'em out the box…
Cast'Em Out Skyscraper (Huh) Money been living so tall and I do no…
Castlevania Smack fire in a nigga like Hadouken Ryu a nigga with…
Do Wit Me N Pose Hook: Imma show up and show out so run my…
Don't Hold Back The Feeling Don’t Hold Back, If it feels good do it Don’t Hold…
Fat Girl [Fat girl!] [You're a fat girl] [Fat...fat...fat fat fat fat…
HALF OFF You say, "What is it that you want?" You've got everything…
Halftime Right now as we rockin' they shootin' outside Now we have…
Herb I took a spliff this morning of The international herb It ma…
interview Yeah I don't know I don't know Yeah I don't know What you th…
Introduction I'm floating in space Alone in my place You can't escape my…
K.R.E.A.M. Am now rolling again На мені drip, на мені fame Am now…
LapDance Dirty dog (uh) I'm a dirty dog (uh) I'm a dirty dog I'm…
Lately Has this fire expired? This thing we call you and me I…
Lauren London She got body, she got body She got body she got,…
Let Me BE Yeah Oooo Oo Oo Oooooo Dah dah da daaahhh Dah dah dah dah…
lyrics [Chorus] Can we try to work this out There's no need to…
Monster Oh yeah この街には「欲望」と言う名の 得体の知れない 魔物が住んでる 腹空かせて 手当たり次第に 街ゆく人 食…
My Life The time is over now I have to leave soon I miss…
Night Nurse Tell her try your best jest to make it quick Whom…
On Tour 泣かない約束など しなくてもいいよ ここから歩きだそう 君の涙は全部 この手で抱きしめ 僕が守る 夢を(Together…
Pulp Fiction Sometime after birth After a very long search I unearthed ce…
Push! Ah, push it Ah, push it (Hit it) Ooh, baby, baby Baby, bab…
Pussy Jamaican accent brown skin she caramel Tried to spin a nigga…
Relax [Hook] Relax and join this ride Get ready to get down Chill …
Return ดูเหมือนเธอคงสบาย คงไม่มีอะไรมากวนหัวใจ เหมือนตอนนั้นที่เราย…
See L.A In the words of Mac I ain't a player I'm just making…
See L.A. I see hawks in L.A. I see hawks in L.A. If you…
Shouts Take your life out of the dirt as we go blind…
Stakes is High I'm 4247, the closest I'll get to heaven See me…
Start My Day Open the slits in your face and start your day You…
Stylin (-Intro-) Fever Baby OK, alright Brooklyn, Uh-Oh Uh-Oh Y…
Supreme Hot genius you can check the degree Born with steez got…
The Grudge Bitch think I'm mad cause she fucked my dog Ain't no…
The Launch Repost the photos When you and me were having fun I should…
Think About It It's like every time I, see your face, I feel…
Wildin' Fly me out To a place for the weekend I've never felt…
Windows Damn it's really been a long time coming home I done…
Yesterday Yesterday, there was so many things I was never told Now tha…