Young MC facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Young MC
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Young MC at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2021
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marvin Young |
| Also known as |
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| Born | May 10, 1967 London, England |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Def Jef, Tone-Loc, M.C. Hammer, Euphoria, Flea |
Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), known as Young M.C., is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He became famous for his 1989 hit song "Bust a Move". His first album, Stone Cold Rhymin', was very popular around the world. Young M.C. has also acted in movies and TV shows.
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Young MC's Early Life and Career
Young M.C. was born in London, England. His parents were from Jamaica. When he was three years old, his family moved from the United Kingdom. Later, at age eight, they moved to Queens, New York.
He went to Hunter College High School in Manhattan. After high school, he studied economics at the University of Southern California (USC). While at USC, he met Michael Ross and Matt Dike from a record company called Delicious Vinyl. Young M.C. rapped for them over the phone, and they offered him a music contract!
Rising to Fame with "Bust a Move"
In 1989, Young M.C. worked with another rapper, Tone Lōc, on songs like "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina".
He became very well-known when he released his song "Bust a Move". This song reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. His first album, Stone Cold Rhymin', reached number 9 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It sold over a million copies in the United States, earning "platinum status." His next song, "Principal's Office", was nominated for an award at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.
New Labels and Albums
After his big success, Young M.C. left Delicious Vinyl. He felt there were too many rules about his music and changes to his album he didn't like. He then signed with Capitol Records.
In 1991, he released his second album, Brainstorm. It reached number 66 on the Billboard 200. This album also sold well, earning "gold status" (meaning it sold over 500,000 copies). However, his third album, What's the Flavor?, released in 1993, was not as successful.
In 1997, Young M.C. released his fourth album, Return of the 1 Hit Wonder, on an independent label called Overall Records. Two songs from this album, "Madame Buttafly" and "On & Poppin", did well on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
In 2000, he started his own record label, Young Man Moving Records. He released his fifth album, Ain't Goin' Out Like That, which appeared on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
TV Shows and Movies
Young M.C. has appeared in many TV shows and movies. In 2001, he helped write a song for a Disney TV movie called Twas the Night. In 2002, he released his sixth album, Engage the Enzyme.
He also appeared on the game show Weakest Link – Rap Stars Edition in 2002. He won the competition, beating other famous rappers. He donated all his winnings to the Humane Society, an organization that helps animals.
In 2004, Young M.C. acted in a film called The Zero Sum. He also helped create the movie and recorded its theme song, "Brotherly Love." In 2005, he joined the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club 3. He won this competition too, by losing the most weight!
Recent Work and Performances
In 2006, Young M.C. moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. He released his seventh album, Adrenaline Flow, in 2008. After that, he released an online-only album called B-Sides, Demos and Remixes.
In 2009, he released his eighth album, Relentless. That same year, he had a small role in the movie Up in the Air, which starred George Clooney. Young M.C. played himself, performing at a convention.
More recently, on July 6, 2021, Young M.C. performed his famous song "Bust a Move" and other songs during the halftime show for Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals.
Young MC's Music Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Hip-Hop |
AUS |
NZ |
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| 1989 | Stone Cold Rhymin' | 9 | 8 | 38 | 7 |
| 1991 | Brainstorm | 66 | 61 | — | 42 |
| 1993 | What's the Flavor? | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 | Return of the 1 Hit Wonder | — | — | — | — |
| 2000 | Ain't Goin' Out Like That | — | 85 | — | — |
| 2002 | Engage the Enzyme | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | Adrenaline Flow | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | Relentless | — | — | — | — |
| "—" means the album did not appear on the chart | |||||
Young MC's Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Rap |
US Dance |
AUS |
NZ |
NLD |
BEL (FL) |
UK |
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| 1988 | "I Let 'Em Know" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Stone Cold Rhymin' |
| "Know How" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 95 | ||
| 1989 | "Bust a Move" | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 50 | 73 | |
| "Principal's Office" | 33 | 9 | 47 | 50 | 5 | 43 | — | 54 | ||
| 1990 | "I Come Off" | 75 | — | 36 | 43 | 19 | — | — | 78 | |
| "Pick Up the Pace (1990)" | — | — | — | 147 | 38 | — | — | — | ||
| "Louie Louie" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Coupe de Ville OST | |
| 1991 | "That's the Way Love Goes" | 54 | — | — | 63 | 23 | — | — | 65 | Brainstorm |
| "Keep It in Your Pants" | — | — | — | 157 | 18 | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "What's the Flavor?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | What's the Flavor? |
| 1996 | "Get Your Boogie On" / "Rollin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| 1997 | "Madame Buttafly" | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Return of the 1 Hit Wonder |
| "On & Poppin'" | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000 | "Ain't Goin' Out Like That" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ain't Goin' Out Like That |
| 2002 | "Bust a Move 2002" | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "Heatseeker" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Engage the Enzyme | |
| 2003 | "Stress Test" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2021 | "Worry Bout That" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| 2024 | "Fun Part" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "—" means the single did not appear on the chart or was not released | ||||||||||
Young MC's Filmography (Movies and TV Shows)
| Year | Title | Role | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Film Teacher | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | The All New Mickey Mouse Club | Ben Covette Interview | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Panther | Recruit | |
| 2009 | The Zero Sum | Mr. Henderson | Also co-executive producer |
| 2015 | Justice Served | Troy Bannister | Also Producer |
| TBD | Hittin Licks | A.D. |
