07/28/08
Text: Bianca Barragan
Most people know Yo Majesty from 2006's "Club Action." The chorus, an infectious chant of "fuck that shit, fuck that shit" was for many the ultimate anthem for a terrible day. They've been compared from everyone from 2LiveCrew to ESG, but none of those comparisons quite hits the mark. Their beats definitely have a made-for-college-radio feel to them, but they are still hip-hop in that their lyrics are politically and literally provocative: for example, in "Hit It And Quit It," they beg you "gimme some" and then make a serious statement about AIDS and HIV awareness. There's a tendency in music to reduce acts to the sum of their parts and dismiss them as a novelty—to say that M.I.A is famous because she's a hot Sri Lankan, or that Amy Winehouse is appealing because she's a white Brit who sings like a black girl. Being black lesbians who talk dirty, Yo Majesty could be a prime target for this kind of dismissal, but their musical oeuvre demands that you seriously pay attention.
The group is formally a duo—Jwl B. and Shunda K. Aside from being a talented musician, Jwl B. is famous for taking her top off at pretty much every show. Having described herself in the song "Hit It And Quit It" as having "[a] body and breasts shaped like melons," this disrobing is more riot grrrl than Pussycat Doll. The nudity and the salty lyrics are all part of Yo Majesty's full disclosure policy, a practice that results in the high occurrence of hilarious phrases like "suck on my HIV clit" in their songs. Rapping over thick bass lines, their jams are danceable in an easy, irresistible way. Videos from their performances at SXSW in 2007 and Coachella in 2008 are testaments to the undeniable power of a Yo Majesty beat.
Like a host to parasites, Yo Majesty just keep on giving. Though they have thought-provoking, fun lyrics and fatty bass lines, their strongest suit is undeniably their live performance. Their appearance at Boom! Outfest, the musical accompaniment to the Outfest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, was to a smaller than usual crowd but the quality of the performance wasn't affected in the least. On stage, Shunda doesn't stop. Her energy is palpable and the crowd loves her. The same attitude of confident confrontation found in Yo Majesty's lyrics emanates from her. It would have been understandable if she were a little bit off: there were rumors that Yo Majesty had broken up earlier in the week and posters advertising the duo's appearance were altered days before the show to advertise only Shunda K. Even forthcoming, she opened up the show by tersely stating that she was performing as a solo act because "somebody didn't understand where I was coming from" and that was it. Ripping through material from the new Krpytonite Pussy EP (available online) and backed by DJ Orion, even the cholo next to me in the "The Cock Stops Here" shirt and his friend with the terrifying face tattoos—who until then had not clapped for a single act—were moved to dance.
