The Cali rapper made his name as the more swaggering (and often more potent) half of rap duo the Luniz, who enjoyed a brief moment of fame in 1995 with the international hit single and ode to narcotics sharing "I Got 5 on It." Yukmouth began dropping solo slabs in the late '90s, and while his spare, bottom-heavy recordings have never matched the level of his Luniz work, his smooth flow and taut rhymes delivered in a slight growl helped him remain a respected force in hip-hop circles, particularly within the hyphy scene.