Luni Tunz

Out of Oakland, The Luniz have been a successful and influential rap duo since 1995. Yukmouth and Numskull met back in junior high in their hometown Oakland, Cali. Yukmouth was a part of a group of young MCs called Brothaz Wit Potential. Using Numskull's artistic talent, the group used his skill to create their logo. Soon after, Num found an interest in rapping and with his natural talent, became a member of the group. Yuk at the time was slangin' crack, and served a 1 year sentence in a juvenile facility. This is where he came up with the concept and plotted out what was soon to be The Luniz. After hooking up with local drug dealer Chris Hicks, who had ties with Too $hort and The Dangerous Crew, C&H(Hicks) introduced them to his cousin Dru Down. After the other members of their first group, Brothaz Wit Potential, dropped out, Yuk and Num formed The Luniz.

In 1992, after hooking up with Dru Down, they appeared on several tracks on his Explicit Game CD. Soon after, Noo Trybe records, a division of Virgin, signed the group. Getting noticed internationally after dropping their single, "I Got 5 On It", which ended up going platinum. Their debut album, Operation Stackola, respectively also went platinum. Problems with their label ended up leaving Yuk and Num broke and doing what they were trying to free themselves of, slangin' rocks. Being a part of a lengthy tour with Notorious B.I.G, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Junior Mafia and Naughty By Nature which they eventually were kicked off of for all the wrong reasons according to Yukmouth. Apparently, several rappers put the blame on the duo for shit that they didn't even do.

Apart from their minor differences at the time, The Luniz hit the studio again to record their follow up, Lunitik Muzik. After that, Yukmouth got an offer to sign with Rap-A-Lot records for a solo release. From there on out, The Luniz were rarely seen together in public which seemed like the group was done for good. Luckily their wives got them talking to each other again and they realized they would have to hook up because their solo efforts weren't going anywhere. After convincing Num that going to Rap-A-Lot was the only way they could do an album, he agreed to the contract, mostly for financial reasons. However, the group didn't feel that chemistry that was apparent on Operation Stackola on their newest release, Silver & Black. Somehow the CD was bootlegged to a point where you could get it for $2 just about anywhere in Oakland. This pretty much finished the idea of The Luniz returning and hindered the groups potential. After minor legal disputes to put the album out sooner rather than later between C&H and Rap-A-Lot records, Silver & Black was released on August 13th, 2002, with only 2 songs that weren't on the bootlegged version.

Is there a possibility that we may see any The Luniz in the near future? Maybe. Here is what Numskull had to say about the matter, "Me and Yuk, we got the gift to do what we need to do. We work well together. He compliments me, I compliment him. we have our problems but the day we did 5 On It, we wasn't even fuckin with each other. We were fightin' that day and we made a hit. That's the way we create. Me and Yuk don't like each other when we get into the studio but we make fuckin' heat. It's a fucked up way to make music. Really, I knew Rap-A-Lot wasn't gonna put no nothin' into this album. So I looked at Silver & Black as a street warmer to let everybody know this is the type of shit we can come with still. And then me and Yuk do an album together and call it my solo album because Yuk can't go nowhere as The Luniz. We got ways around shit, we got ways around Rap-A-Lot, we got ways around C&H, we got ways around everybody".

So are The Luniz done? Fuck no. I think once these cats get a break from all these issues they have, be it one thing or another, they will show us what they are really capable of as they did on Operation Stackola.

Davey D's interview/write-Up on The Luniz
The 411 Luniz Interview

Track Listing:
1-Intro
2-Highest Niggaz In The Industry(f. E-40/B-Legit)
3-Funkin Over Nuthin'(f. Too $hort/Harm)
4-In My Nature(f. Eightball/MJG)
5-Just Mee & U(f. Raphael Saadiq)
6-Game
7-My Baby Mamma
8- Is It Kool?
9-Sad Millionaire(f. Brownstone)
10-Killaz On The Payroll
11-Phillies
12-Mobb Shit(f. Swoop G/3x Krazy)
13-Y Do Thugz Die
14-Hypnotize(f. Redman)
15-Handcuff Your Hoes
16-20 Bluntz A Day(f. 2 Live Crew/Christion)

Download Lunitik Muzik
Buy Lunitik Muzik

Track Listing:
Disc 1
1-Godzilla
2-Do Yo Thug Thang(f. Outlawz)
3-City Of Dope
4-Thugged Out(f. Regime)
5-Ridaz(f. DMG/G Mone)
6-Stallion(f. Mc Ren/Tech N9ne)
7-Father Like Son
8-Hater
9-U Love 2 Hate
10-Ice Cream Man(f. The 5th Ward Boyz/Fa Sho)
11-It's In My Blood Part II(f. DMG)
12-Still Ballin'(f. Outlawz)
13-Revelationz
14-Rolex Rulez
Disc 2
1-Sad Millionaire(f. Phats Bossi/Fa Sho)
2-The Ballers Feud(f. Numskull)
3-Pop Da Collar(f. Fa Sho)
4-My Buddy(f. Daz/Kurupt/Numskull)
5-Extortion(f. Phats Bossi)
6-Menage A Trois(f. Tela)
7-Falling(f. Do Or Die)
8-Mackin Vs Pimpin
9-Gangsta B(f. Fa Sho)
10-RAL Mafia(f. The Rap-A-Lot Family)
11-Sacrifice My Life(f. Kuirshan)
12-Baller Mode
13-Bumbell(f. Tech N9ne)
14-Secret Indictment

Download Thugged Out: Disc 1
Download Thugged Out: Disc 2
Buy Thugged Out: The Albulation