Ya Boy

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William Joseph Crawford (born January 28, 1980)better known by his stage names Ya Boy, Rich Rocka or PKwinzio, is an American rapper from the Fillmore District, San Francisco. He is currently signed to the label Black Card Music, and was formerly signed to both of Akon's labels Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. H

Early life

Crawford graduated from El Camino High School in South San Francisco, California, in 2002. He is a younger cousin of San Francisco rapper San Quinn and also the cousin of San Diego Chargers wide receiver Stevie Johnson.

Musical career

As a youth growing up in the Fillmore District, San Francisco, Ya Boy began rapping with the song "16's with Me." He continued to release mixtapes and singles with the support of cousin San Quinn's independent label Done Deal Entertainment. He released his debut, Rookie of the Year, in 2005. In 2006, he amicably left his cousin's label to pursue opportunities with his uncle, who was an executive at Compton rapper The Game's Black Wall Street Records imprint, His affiliation to Game allowed him to work with top industry producers and lead to greater exposure outside of the Bay Area locale as shown by his feature in The Source magazine's "Unsigned Hype" column. Ya Boy appeared on the track "Dance with a Pimp" on Kevin Federline's 2006 album Playing with Fire.