[3] His stage name is derived from the 1983 film, Scarface, referencing the main character Tony Montana, and yayo, a slang word for cocaine.

After his release from prison on drug charges,[citation needed] the trio formed the group, G-Unit, and began working on music together.

The first underground mixtape featuring Bernard (who now went under the stage name Tony Yayo), was 134 All Starz, released in late 2000, referencing his old street he grew up on.

[citation needed] Two years later, G-Unit continued releasing a number of mixtapes in the early 2000s, including 2002's 50 Cent Is the Future, No Mercy, No Fear, and God's Plan.

He said that he was unaware of the attention the campaign was getting until he saw Eminem wearing a "Free Yayo" shirt on stage at the 2003 Grammy Awards, where he performed his 8 Mile theme song, "Lose Yourself".

[12][13] Though his appearances on numerous mixtapes throughout his jail time announced his return on a street level, it was not until the release of Lloyd Banks' "Ain't No Click" and its parent album, The Hunger for More (2004), which featured Yayo that the latter received widespread recognition.

[14][15] He also appeared on the track, "Fake Love", which made its way to the soundtrack for 50 Cent's acting debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', which released that November.

[16] In 2009, Yayo and Lloyd Banks were released from Interscope due to disagreements between the two members, 50 Cent and their former label's co-founder, Jimmy Iovine.

[17] Along with 50 Cent and several other affiliates, Yayo was arrested on December 31, 2002, during a New Year's Eve party in Midtown Manhattan for first-degree possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon.

[1] Yayo served time in the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in the village of Brocton in Chautauqua County, New York.

The incident was perceived to have had a connection with Tony Yayo and G-Unit's ongoing dispute with former colleague and Henchman's client at the time, The Game.

His co-conspirator, Fletcher, also pistol whipped Rosemond, Jr., and apparently threatened him with the same gun, causing the adolescent child to run off in fear.

[27] Eventually, his friend, Lodi Mack, took legal responsibility for the action and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a weapon and unlawful gun possession in relation.

[29] 50 responded by recruiting Atlanta gang members to place a dead rat on the doormat of Henchman's home in New York.