Jerold Dwight Ellis, III (born October 18, 1974), better known by his stage… Read Full Bio ↴Jerold Dwight Ellis, III (born October 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Yukmouth, is a Grammy-nominated rapper from Oakland, California.

He is a member of the platinum-selling rap duo Luniz along with Numskull. Luniz recorded the successful weed anthem, "I Got 5 on It". He went on to sign a solo record deal at J-Prince's Rap-a-Lot Records, releasing four albums. His double album debut on the label, entitled, Thugged Out: The Albulation went Gold. Under his own label, Smoke-a-Lot Records, he has released DVD's, such as the United Ghettos of America series.

He is a member of the groups Thug Lordz, with C-Bo, and The Regime. Yukmouth has long been a staple in Oakland rap and has worked with artists including Bun B, Dru Down, E-40, Lil Flip, Mac Dre, MC Ren, Gonzoe, Outlawz, Redman, Scarface, T-Pain, Tech N9ne, Tha Dogg Pound, The Game, Too Short, Big Lurch among countless others. He is known in the rap industry for both his remarkable history of collaborations and his ruthless diss tracks.

Career

Yukmouth's popularity does continue beyond the Bay Area with his recent music video for his song "Neck Straight". The video was filmed in South Los Angeles in the summer of 2006 with San Francisco based rapper Killa Klump. The "Neck Straight" music video was created by Marques Owens and Mr. Shannon W. Rawls of Los Angeles based Cinema Hill Motion Picture Company and depicts Yukmouth and Killa Klump selling narcotics disguised as fruit until the LAPD ends the operation and apprehends the rappers.

Smoke-a-Lot Records

Yukmouth is CEO of Smoke-a-Lot Records, which is distributed by Rap-a-Lot Records. The label is home to established artists such as Luniz, Dru Down, Thug Lordz (Yukmouth & C-Bo), The Regime, and Yukmouth himself. It should be noted that The Regime is a large collective of MCs including Tech N9ne, Tha Realest, Dru Down, Gonzoe and Messy Marv among various others. It is home to new comers Ampichino, Nyce, Young Dru, and Marc Shyst. Attached to the label as In-House DJ is former Cali Untouchable DJ, DJ Fingaz.

Feuds

Too Short
Luniz had an early rivalry with fellow Oakland rapper Too Short. The rivalry began in 1994 shortly after Luniz released the undeground EP Formally Known As Lunitunz (later re-released as Bootlegs and B-Sides in 1997). Around the time Chris Hicks brought out Luniz, Too Short introduced his rap duo Bad-N-Fluenz consisting of Ant Diddley Dog and the late Rappin Ron. Due to the rising popularity between the two duos in the streets of Oakland, both Too Short and Chris Hicks set up a freestyle battle between the two acts. The agreement was the loser of the battle would buy pizza for everyone who was at the studio who witnessed the battle. No one outside the The Dangerous Crew or C-Note Records circle knows the true outcome of the battle, however it was this event that is credited for spawning the feud between the two crews. Later that year Too Short moved to Atlanta and Luniz taunted him on the song "Playa Hata" with the lyric "that's why The Town got rid of Short" which led to rumors of Too Short being ran out of Oakland against his own will. Too Short responded back on his tenth album with the song "That's Why" with the hook mimicking lyrics from Luniz song. On the song he boasts "Rappin Ron tore them up on the freestyle tip, them niggas ain't ran nobody outta shit." Too Short continued to take shots at Luniz on the song "Trouble" from J-Dubb's EP Game Related. The artists later "squashed" their rivalry by appearing on a track together called "Funkin' Over Nothing", however Yukmouth continued to later take shots at Too Short on the song "Fuck Friends" from his compilation United Ghettos of America. Since then Yukmouth appeared on the Too Short compilation released in 2007 titled "I Love the Bay."

Master P
Yukmouth's most famous and long lasting rivalry is with veteran rapper Master P. Yukmouth has claimed in numerous songs that he used to know Master P before either man became a famous rapper. According to Yukmouth, Master P had a different rapping style and was constantly laughed at by others. Yukmouth alleges that Master P "stole" or copied Yukmouth's style, along with his nickname "The Ice Cream Man" which later became the name of a Master P CD in 1996. While it is impossible to confirm whether Master P "stole" Yukmouth's style, Yukmouth did appear on a track recorded with fellow rapper Dru Down in 1993 called "The Ice Cream Man" featured on the album Fools from the Streets (Later re-released as Explicit Game). Luniz released a remix of the track entitled "Yellow Brick Road" in 1995 on their debut CD, Operation Stackola. Yukmouth has dissed Master P on every solo CD that he has recorded (with the exception of his latest CD Million Dollar Mouthpiece), along with both of the United Ghettos of America CDs and all of his mixtapes.

Gonzoe
Yukmouth briefly had a rivalry with Regime member Gonzoe over distribution of popular All Out War mixtapes, the rivalry was squashed before the third All Out War mixtape. Most say the rivalry stemmed from The Game saying Gonzoe was "riding Yukmouth's dick" referring to "bitch" in prison slang but it was really over money and Gonzoe starting his own company Blocwize Ent.

G-Unit
Yukmouth has had a rivalry with G-Unit. Yukmouth first took shots at 50 Cent on the song "Thug Lordz" with C-Bo from his 2003 release Godzilla and later collaborated with former G-Unit member Bang Em Smurf on the song "He Ain't a Thug" from the album In Thugz We Trust. Yukmouth had an ongoing feud with Spider Loc which began with an altercation at a L.A. nightclub where he was jumped by Spider Loc and his entourage, one of whom managed to steal Yukmouth's chain. Yukmouth reclaimed his chain the very next day as a mutual friend intervened. Yukmouth disses Spider Loc in many songs such as "Aaaadadamean", "Get Wild", "Im Da Shit" and "Playa Hata". In a recent interview, Yuk stated he and Spider ended the rivalry by way of a phone conversation they had.

The Game
Yukmouth first met The Game at a club stating he had a feud with 50 Cent. The Game released a diss track aimed at the rapper, entitled "I Got a Mill on It," over the "I Got 5 on It" instrumental, a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of Luniz. Yukmouth responded with the track "Game Over" using the instrumental from Young Buck's song "Let Me In" that mocked The Game's appearance on Change of Heart. The two later tried to bury the hatchet, due to a personal friend and even recorded a song together with C-Bo's protege Speedy, named "Peace". However the rivalry continued afterward, since The Game dissed Yukmouth on the "Peace" song (they recorded their verses separately). Since then, Yukmouth responded by releasing the song and music video "Game Over Part 2" over Fabolous' "Breathe" instrumental in which it parodied The Game. In the video there is a look-a-like of the rapper getting robbed and beaten up. Yukmouth claimed on the song that The Game had a tongue ring and was slapped by mogul Suge Knight. Yukmouth dissed The Game once more with the song "Wartime". Since the West Coast Peace Conference both rappers ended the feud and have recorded a song with Erick Sermon called "Across The Coast" on a Game mix cd called "The Face Of L.A.".

Afroman
Yukmouth has called out fellow California rapper Afroman on "World War 3" on his Million Dollar mixtape. Yukmouth called him a "backpack motherfucka... drunk ass, 40 oz drinkin ass nigga." After Afroman spoke on him in an interview. Afroman is rumored to have dissed Yukmouth in "Whack Rappers 2."

Numskull
Numskull is one half of the platinum selling group Luniz. After years of bad press between the duo, multiple songs that depict them saying bad things of one another, it finally happens. Numskull attends the infamous BARS awards and tells the crowd "fuck Yukmouth", and then puts a wad of money up and says "I bet 10 racks he wont come up here", and is soon after stormed up on stage by Yukmouth's Regime member, the late Pretty Black. Two diss tracks are later released, one of which was released on Yukmouth's "Lord Of War" mixtape titled "I dont miss my dawgs".

Yukmouth revealed many new details about the Numskull beef and how Luniz were formed. Among other things, he stated that "the group was an idea he came up with while in prison, that he came up with the logo and the names Luniz, Yukmouth and Numskull". He stated that before Luniz, Numskull was rapping under the name "The Skinny One" but was prompted by Yukmouth to change his stage name.

Squashed Beef
Yukmouth has confirmed that he had ended his beef with numerous rappers.[4] Which included Daz Dillinger, The Game, Young Buck, Spider Loc, JT the Bigga Figga, and after 10 years of bad blood, Master P. Yukmouth claimed in the interview that "all beef is squashable."

Yukmouth claims that he no longer has a rivalry with 50 Cent and The Game on the track "Bloody Mary" on his latest mixtape, The City of Dope Volume 1.

In a new song titled "Misery" on Tech N9ne's collaboration album Misery Loves Kompany, Yuk raps, "They ask about the beef with Game and the Unit/squashed my beef with The Game, and do my thang with the Unit (What Up Buck!)".

Discography
Albums

Studio

* Thugged Out: The Albulation
o Released: November 3, 1998
o Chart position[1]: #40 Top 200, #8 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification: Gold[2]
o U.S. sales: 500,000+
o Worldwide sales:

* Thug Lord: The New Testament
o Released: March 27, 2001
o Chart position[1]: #71 Top 200, #17 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification: Gold
o U.S. sales: 0,5 million+[citation needed]
o Worldwide sales:

* Godzilla
o Released: July 22, 2003
o Chart position[1]: #112 Top 200, #21 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:1x platnimun[citation needed]
o Worldwide sales:

* Million Dollar Mouthpiece
o Released: February 12, 2008
o Chart position[1]: #46 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, #13 Top Rap Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:
o Singles: "Hey Boy"

Collaborations

* Block Shit
o With Tha Gamblaz
o Released: 2001
o Chart position
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* In Thugz We Trust
o With C-Bo as Thug Lordz
o Released: March 30, 2004
o Chart position[1]: #47 Top Heatseekers, #63 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* In Thugz We Trust The Mixtape
o With C-Bo as Thug Lordz
o Released: 2005
o Chart position
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* Trilogy
o With C-Bo & Spice 1 as Thug Lordz
o Released: 2006
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* Killa Thugs
o With Killa Klump
o Released: November 7, 2006
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* I'm Good
o With Killa Klump
o Released: 2006
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* 100 Racks
o With Messy Marv
o Released: December 5, 2006
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales

Compilation

* United Ghettos of America
o Released: July 16, 2002
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* United Ghettos of America Vol. 2
o Released: May 4, 2004
o Chart position: #44 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[1]
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

* United Ghettos of America: Eye Candy
o Released: July 17, 2007
o Chart position:
o RIAA certification:
o U.S. sales:
o Worldwide sales:

[edit] Mixtapes

* Million Dollar Mixtape
o Released: 2005
o Label: Godzilla Ent.

* The City Of Dope Vol. 1
o Released: 2007
o Label: Godzilla Ent.

* Lord of War
o Released: 2007
o Label: Godzilla Ent.

American Dream
Yukmouth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last time I saw you, you had dirt under your nails
Your eyes were glassy and you looked so pale
You said my life has become a livin' hell
Ain't got enough money to pay my bills

Everything is wrong
Everything is wrong

Got a friend with a needle stuck in his arm
He got hooked on heroin in Vietnam
It used to help kill the pain some of the time
Now I can't sleep at all since I got back home

I worked in the strip mines off and on
Now I can't seem to get rid of this cough
Ain't been many jobs these last few months
And the last one I had I got laid off

I ain't got no hot water and they shut off the heat
Can you loan me some money for something to eat
Been out here on this corner for about a week
Tryin' hard to stand on my own two feet

They want to try and tell me where I can live
They kicked me off my land and told me they'd give me
A nice little tract house with running water
But how am I gonna explain that to my Navajo mother

My American dream almost came true
But the things they promised me never came through
I believe in the American dream
But things are never quite what they seem

Everything is wrong [Repeat: x4]

Overall Meaning

The song "American Dream" by Yukmouth is a poignant commentary on the disillusionment and broken promises of the American Dream. The opening lyrics set the tone, with the singer encountering an old friend who has fallen on hard times - struggling to pay bills, battling addiction, and facing unemployment. The repeated refrain of "everything is wrong" underscores the sense of hopelessness and despair.

The lyrics further explore the various ways in which the American Dream has failed to materialize for those in the song's narrative. The singer references his own struggles with health issues related to working in the strip mines, and the difficulty he has had finding steady employment. He also touches on issues of displacement and cultural erasure, highlighting the displacement of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, and the impossible choice faced by the singer's Navajo mother between accepting a tract home with running water and staying connected to her heritage.

Ultimately, the song's message is a powerful critique of the myth of the American Dream, and a call to action to address the systemic failures that prevent so many Americans from achieving basic necessities like health, housing, and economic stability.

Line by Line Meaning

Last time I saw you, you had dirt under your nails
When I last met you, your fingers were dirty, possibly indicating your struggles to make ends meet.

Your eyes were glassy and you looked so pale
Your physical appearance suggested that you were unwell or under a lot of stress.

You said my life has become a livin' hell
You expressed that your life has turned into a continuous nightmare.

Ain't got enough money to pay my bills
You are financially struggling and unable to cover your expenses.

Everything is wrong
Your life seems to be in complete disarray and nothing is going well for you.

Got a friend with a needle stuck in his arm
I know someone who is addicted to heroin and is currently injecting the drug.

He got hooked on heroin in Vietnam
He developed the addiction while serving in the military in Vietnam.

It used to help kill the pain some of the time
Initially, the drug may have been used to numb the emotional and physical pain caused by the war.

Now I can't sleep at all since I got back home
The traumas experienced during the war now keep me up at night, making it difficult to sleep.

I worked in the strip mines off and on
I have a history of working in the dangerous coal mines sporadically.

Now I can't seem to get rid of this cough
The years of working in the mines have possibly caused respiratory problems, as evidenced by my persistent cough.

Ain't been many jobs these last few months
There has been a dearth of employment opportunities in the recent past, making it difficult to earn a living.

And the last one I had I got laid off
I was let go from my last job, which has made my financial situation even worse.

I ain't got no hot water and they shut off the heat
My utilities have been shut off, and I do not have access to hot water or heating.

Can you loan me some money for something to eat
I am so financially strapped that I am forced to ask for a loan to pay for my basic necessities like food.

Been out here on this corner for about a week
I have been begging for money on the streets for over a week now.

Tryin' hard to stand on my own two feet
Despite everything I am going through, I am still determined to regain my independence.

They want to try and tell me where I can live
Government entities may be dictating where I can reside, taking away my autonomy regarding my home.

They kicked me off my land and told me they'd give me
I was forcefully evicted from my land with the promise of receiving a new house with running water.

A nice little tract house with running water
I was told I would receive a modest home with modern amenities.

But how am I gonna explain that to my Navajo mother
It will be tough for me to justify this move to my traditional and culturally significant Navajo mother.

My American dream almost came true
I was on the cusp of achieving the ambitious goals I had set for myself when I arrived in America.

But the things they promised me never came through
The promises made to me were never fulfilled, and my dream has been shattered.

I believe in the American dream
I continue to have faith in pursuing the idea of the American Dream.

But things are never quite what they seem
However, reality often does not align with the lofty promises and expectations associated with the American Dream.

Everything is wrong [Repeat: x4]
All the difficulties you face interact until everything in your life doesn't go as planned.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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