Akon Expands Kon Live With Ya Boy Signing

Akon continues to raise the bar, after working with Lady Gaga,  by signing Southern California rapper Ya Boy.

With a resume that includes opening for artists such as Jay-Z, Sean Kingston, and Taylor Swift and over 45 million Myspace views, Ya Boy has become the latest entertainer to sign with Akon's Kon-Live.

"Ya Boy is one of the hardest workers today…He’s an amazing artist that never got a chance to shine. He never gave up and now he has a chance to shine not only on the West Coast but internationally," Akon said in a statement Monday.

Catchy punch lines, versatility, eyebrow raising topics, witty wordplay combined with his no-color lines policy have helped garner Ya Boy aka YB The Rock Star widespread appeal. In 2002, he further gained notoriety from his song "100 Bars of Crack" where he rapped a 100 bars over Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang" also featured on The Black Wall Street Journal Vol. 1. In the summer of 2005 Ya Boy released his first solo mixtape, “Future of the Franchise” followed by the 2006 release of his debut album “Rookie of the Year .”

The album featured collaborations with his Bay Area rap neighbors E-40, Turf Talk, Clyde Carson of The Team, San Quinn and more. The album’s first single, "Step Ya Game Up", was produced by musical architect, Rick Rock. That same year, Ya Boy wrote and appeared on the Kevin Federline’s rap album Playing With Fire allowing him to expand his horizon. Seamlessly pounding the music industry’s pavement YB The Rock Star secured his position on the West Coast in 2008, when he released the single "Holla at Ya Boy" produced by Cool & Dre.

Meanwhile, The Source Magazine featured him in the Unsigned Hype section, BET’s Rap City awarded Ya Boy the mixtape of the week title, while XXL Magazine, Ozone and Hip Hop Weekly all co-signed him as the “Next To Blow.” In 2009 Ya Boy released hit single “We Run LA” feat. Dr. Hollywood, the song is currently spinning on multiple radio stations throughout Los Angeles. “Ya Boy truly deserves this moment…We felt there’s no one on an international level bigger than Akon. We’re excited and happy to join the Kon-Live family,” says Manager Mike G, Nitevision Management.

With multiple Ya Boy videos and mixtapes saturating the web, a total seven years of paying dues, Ya Boy will finally reap the benefits of his labor on Kon Live.

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