If you think Miley Cyrus invented the booty-popping movement known as twerking, you’re sadly mistaken. The Ying Yang Twins are the first to make a claim to that fame. From ‘Salt Shaker’ and ‘What’s Happnin’ to ‘Shake’ and ‘Badd,’ the Atlanta hip-hop duo have been in the business of making songs for strippers to shake their derrieres to for quite some time.
The Twins broke onto the hip-hop scene with ‘Whistle While You Twurk’ in 2000, and although that laid the foundation for the beginnings of the twerk movement, it wasn’t until they teamed up with fellow ATL rapper Lil Jon on 2002′s ‘Get Low’ that everyone started to take notice of their craft.
As a result, D-Roc and Kaine realized they could take their music to a wider audience. They released five full-length studio albums and four mixtapes, including two — ‘Ass In Session’ and ‘Twurk or Die’ — that debuted this year alone. Even though each project boasted its own set of hits, it was the 2005 LP ‘U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) that helped the rap duo dominate radio with ‘Shake,’ ‘Badd’ and ‘Wait (The Whisper Song).’
On the way to making twerking music more mainstream, the Ying Yang Twins made some major moves in the sports realm. ‘Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)’ is a playlist staple at many NFL stadiums and even an unofficial anthem for the New Orleans Saints. It’s pretty clear these guys put the now popular dance style on the map.
The Boombox spoke to D-Roc about his thoughts on twerking in mainstream America, love for Miley Cyrus, solo albums and why he never gets tired of performing old Ying Yang Twins hits.
Published 14 November 2013. Read full article here.