The early 2000s saw East Coast hip-hop give rise to a cluster of artists working within hardcore hip-hop and gangsta rap traditions, particularly out of New York. Marvin Bernard, born on March 31, 1978, in South Jamaica, New York, emerged from that environment under the stage name Tony Yayo.

Bernard works as a rapper, songwriter, and hype man, performing in the English language across genres that include hip-hop, East Coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop, and gangsta rap. He is a member of G-Unit, the group he formed alongside 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks. His debut studio album, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon, was released on August 30, 2005, and entered the Billboard 200 at number two, a chart position that marked a significant commercial moment for Bernard within the broader hip-hop landscape of that period.

Bernard has continued to release material in subsequent years. On February 10, 2023, he released The Loyal Mixtape, extending his output well into the 2020s. His debut album's chart debut at number two on the Billboard 200 remains among the most concrete measures of the commercial reception his work received upon its release.