Rapper Yukmouth first surfaced as one half of the Oakland, CA-based duo the Luniz; debuting in 1995 with the album Operation Stackola, they launched a major hit with the single "I Got 5 on It." With the release of 1997's Lunitik Musik, Yukmouth re-christened himself Smoke-A-Lot, but took back his old name in time to make his solo debut a year later with Thugged Out: Albulation. Thug Lord: The New Testament and Block Shit were issued in spring 2001. The following year, Yukmouth tried to further reconnect with his street roots with the ambitious United Ghettos of America album. United Ghettos of America appeared in 2002 and was followed two years later by a second volume. Million Dollar Mouth Piece will drop in 2006.