I came across this group on the cultural landfill that is myspace. Their humorous name caught my fickle interest and prompted me to check out the first track on their site, "Club Action". Before I knew what hit me I was bombarded by a wild, bumpin' beat and chants of "fuck that shit, fuck that shit!" This is that crazy party music you've been thirsting for, and it's right in Orlando's back yard: Tampa Bay. We caught up with the girls to give you a taste of where they're coming from. For the Orlando people who don't know, who are the members of YM, and what are their contributions? Shunda: Shunda K, Shon B, Jwl.B, Our contributions are each other, we are the contributions to the group (laughs) coz we the group and whatever is a part of us that's what we bring, even the bullshit, we bring it all, from the bullshit, for real, to the pulpit! (laughter) Who makes the beats? Jewel: David, the sonic hip hop king, aka Alexander, aka don't fuck with it! Shunda: And Richard in London, that's the man behind the scenes, the other member of Hard Feelings UK. We haven't even met this man but just the love they've been showing getting stuff mixed down, mp3-ing back and forth getting shit tightened up. Das what's up for real! How long has Yo Majesty been making music together? Shunda: We started in the end of 2000. It had started out with just me and Shawn and we were Yeah Majesty. Then a friend of ours named Linda at the Harbor Club (we give ya'll a shout out even though you don't show no love!), she turns us on to Jewel. She's like “Y’all got to hear this vocalist” and so we ran up on her one night at the club. We like, “Let us hear you sing.” Jewel: They set me back a little bit, I was like who are these two harsh looking women demanding something from me but I bussed a note and they was reacting in a way I wasn't expecting. Shunda: We was like hell yeah and roped her ass that night! And we came up with 3 tight ass songs right away. Your music is pretty wild shit. Are you influenced by anyone in particular? Jewel: Tina mother fucking turner! Ozzie, I love you baby! I would love to meet you! Erykah Badu of course. I just want to give a shout out, y’all don't even be paying attention to my girl Rachelle Ferrell. Yes sir I, am your biggest fan! Listen to me, Rachelle! It's alright girl, keep laughing! They picking at your little laugh and stuff, but you can sing, and you're the best female vocalist in the whole wide world for me! Teach me your ranges! Shunda: I don't know. The word influence is kinda… In terms of shaping me I believe my gift came from the Lord. I started out listening to Dre and Snoop. Then it was Outkast, “Elevators” (that’s my favorite by Outkast) and a little bit of Bone (thuggish ruggish Bone, for the love of money), then it went to NJG and 8 Ball. It's all real, that's what's up. I'm waiting the chance to get on a song with Twista, just coz I can get on his level (laughs). Jewel: Get on his level. The world is not ready! (laughter) Shon: I just give everyone a hand on what they doing, basicly. Know what I'm saying? To each his own. Everything is groovy. And the lyrics: what inspires them? Jewel: What influences me is my life and what I been going through and feeling. The music talks to me; that influences me. The beat, the sound… Shon: Everything that comes out yo mouth should be what's up with you, what's real. What was the wildest venue/craziest show you've played, and why? Jewel: I really loved when we performed in the projects about 3 years ago and those little kids was just doing their damn thing... Yeah, we won a contest. Shunda: Y’all know if you can win it and y’all gonna get that bread, that's what we did. We used to hit up the little contest, win $300 for a photo-shoot, whatever we needed; bills, whatever we need the money for. We came together and entered into these contests. How do you feel Tampa's current music scene stacks up, and what unique offerings do you feel you bring to it? Shunda: I don't think Tampa's music is a stack, I think it's like one brick. It's like ground zero. Jewel: Even I hear people from other cities in the industry pick at Tampa, coz they say we got the “ahh ahh” sound. [They say] nobody can make a hit without the “ahh ahh” sound. I beg to differ. Shunda: For sure man, we just don't talk about surface stuff. We go from the surface to the core, the core to the surface, you know? Church in the morning and the club at night. Real stuff. Jewel: Bullshit to the pulpit (laughs). Everything. We gonna take the whole bay area to the top, to another level, and I feel at first they're not gonna be so receptive to us coz we're bringing a new sound, you know what I'm saying? But to the industry, I think, were gonna be well respected. Shunda: And coz, you know, they ain’t in our place they're just gona be hating, but we don't promote that. We're all about love and helping people, and if you’re really serious about it we can help you expand your mind too. Speaking of Tampa (sorry, I gotta ask), what's your opinion of Mr. Hatablockas: Acafool? Shunda: I think that the concept is straight coz everybody on that, but I don't know. I'm not going to comment, coz I really haven't taken the time to sit down and listen to the track, I just know it's the typical. You were recently featured on illfm.net, a UK online radio station. Your cd was produced by Hard Feelings UK, who are also based in the UK. How did these overseas collaborations come about? Jewel: (shouting) David - The sonic king, aka Alexander, aka don't fuck with it. If you’re not a real artist don't even try to get in his tracks! All the way from Britain, Brazil, France, everywhere in the USA, everywhere, dog! If you can't handle it, just don't handle it. You don't got to! Shunda: Yeah, David and Richard are from England. Yeah, it's not what you know, it's who you know. Jewel: Would you like some grape, po paa? Shunda: Yes I would! Finally, when are you coming out to Orlando? Shunda: Like, as soon as you request for us to come. Make sure the accommodation is straight, coz I mean, we ran into situations where we were not treated like the women we are. Jewel: Majesty, our name! Shunda: And what we bring: we're not just bringing good music, man, we changing lives for real. People not just loving us and vocalizing it just because the music sounds good, they're listening to the words that we're saying [and] it's encouraging them. It's helping them get out of drought. Take your ass out to the club, drink on it, shake it a little bit and you know what I'm saying. Start over, you know, pick your self up. Jewel: We got from the church in the morning to cleaning your house and you and your man just got in a fight, you popping and you gonna say, “Baby I'm so sorry, Lord, forgive me, Lord, I know you love me,” to: “Fuck that shit!” (laughs) Shunda: What we’re doing is we're trying to help people be stress free. Jewel: And stress free means be real with yourself, baby. Shunda: That's real, so whenever you have us come through and take care of what needs to be taken care of we won’t have no problems, coz we'll be comfortable in our comfort zone and we'll come lay it down and make it happen and blow Orlando up. Jewel: We ain’t even saying paying for a show for us to perform, just some accommodations. Shunda: Some food, [and] can a n**** get a bed, and a hot shower, and a bowel of cereal in the morning? Damn, ain’t even gotta have some egg and steak! Jewel: N**** just need an Oreo cookie! Can I get one of those? (laughs) Can I get some milk with it? Thank you! interview by Jack Cusumano MORE INFO: Yo Majesty's Myspace, Official website