Biography.guide
Home › People › Rapper › Ya Boy
Portrait of Ya Boy

Ya Boy

b. 1984

American rapper

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ya Boy

Born 1984. Ya Boy is an American rapper and singer.

William Joseph Crawford (born January 28, 1984), known by his stage name Ya Boy (also known as Rich Rocka), is an American rapper from Fillmore District, California. He is best known for his 2011 single "Lock Down" (with DJ Drama featuring Akon). The year prior, he signed with the latter's record label, Konvict Muzik, having first signed with San Quinn's Done Deal Entertainment to release his debut studio album, Rookie of the Year. The following year, he signed with the Game's Black Wall Street Records, and later Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records in 2009, although he released no albums with both labels.

Early life Crawford grew up in San Francisco's Fillmore District, and graduated from El Camino High School in South San Francisco.

His cousin is football player Stevie Johnson.

Career In 2005, Crawford signed with San Quinn's Done Deal Entertainment and SMC Recordings to release his debut album, Rookie of the Year in May of that year. In 2006, Crawford signed with the Game's record label The Black Wall Street Records, an imprint of Warner Bros. Records. After making an appearance on the label's collaborative mixtape, The Black Wall Street Journal, Vol. 1 (2006), Crawford began working with producers including Scott Storch, Araab Muzik and Cool & Dre, the latter of whom produced his 2008 standalone single, "Holla at Ya Boy".

In 2009, Crawford formed the record label Black Card Music, and signed himself and the label to Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records. He released no projects with the label, and instead signed with Akon's labels Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution in February 2010. The following August, he released the single "Party Girls" (featuring Rico Love), and later the single "Lockdown" (with DJ Drama featuring Akon) in late 2011. The latter song was shared with disc jockey DJ Drama as part of his third album, Third Power (2011). Crawford changed his stage name in favor of Rich Rocka in early 2013. He then released the mixtape Road 2 Rocka on July 4, 2013.

Discography Studio albums Rookie of the Year (2005) Rich Rocka (2013)

Mixtapes

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality

People in Ya Boy's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ya Boy's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ya Boy?

American rapper

When was Ya Boy born?

Ya Boy was born on 28 January 1984 in San Francisco.

What is Ya Boy's occupation?

Ya Boy is a rapper and singer.

What nationality is Ya Boy?

Ya Boy is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ya Boy

· Wikidata: Q1803687

· DBpedia: Ya Boy

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ya Boy. https://biography.guide/ya-boy/

MLA: "Ya Boy." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ya-boy/.

Chicago: "Ya Boy." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ya-boy/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:58 UTC