Yo Majesty

The music industry is generally not too kind to butch black women. They've got two strikes against them from the start, and that third pitch headed toward home plate is a nasty curveball lathered in spit and Vaseline. Although plenty of artists may shy away from the challenge, Tampa hip-hop group Yo Majesty took one swing at rap music and has been smacking home runs ever since. These three sexually brazen MCs — Shon B, Shunda K, and Jwl B —make lesbian prison rap sound like the newest fad in hip-hop. They've been churning out a boss blend of Miami bass meets Southern crunk for only a short time. Couple it with devastating lyrics that shock, awe, and educate at the same time and it's no surprise that they're getting write-ups all over the globe. Much of the critical acclaim focuses on the group's live shows, which are like a party at Studio 54 circa 1976. Ass-shaking is mandatory, nudity isn't forbidden, and going temporarily insane from dancing and yelling "Oh shit!" repeatedly is a common occurrence. They've recently released an EP of lo-fi recordings to whet the appetite of their growing contingency of fans, and while it doesn't do their stage performance justice, it's still better than half of the carbon-copy hip-hop out today. Their EP is simply titled Yo, and it's packed with seven tracks of holleration — from the lead single, "Kryptonite Pussy," to the hilarious cut "The Monkey," which is wild enough to make the straightest women line up to give these three ladies oral satisfaction. The best song on the album is "Club Action," with a Luke Campbell-style beat, tight-as-gnat-booty lyrics, and a chorus that simply yells, "Fuck that shit/Fuck that shit" that could make a paraplegic jump up and do the splits.