Luniz

90s Hip-Hop Duo from Oakland

Oakland rap duo Luniz, original named Luni Tunz, consisted of Yukmouth (Jerold Ellis III) and Numskull (Garrick Husbands), two friends who knew each other since junior high. The duo gained fame after six years together when they appeared on Dru Down's Explicit Game album. Their debut album, Operation Stackola, was released in 1995 and knocked Michael Jackson's HIStory off the top of Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on the strength of the Club Nouveau-sampling platinum hit single "I Got 5 on It," which featured guest vocals by Michael Marshall of Timex Social Club. The album's lyrics took novel, comic approaches to sex, drugs, and everyday occurrences. Neither Lunitik Muzik (1997) nor Silver & Black (2002) fared as well, and they subsequently split.