Hailing from Baltimore, Spank Rock are MC Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton, a.k.a. Spank Rock and XXXchange. Although both grew up in the same city, lived on the same street as children and attended the same high school, neither had met until being introduced at an art gallery by Chris Rockswell, who later served as their DJ. Both active artists in Baltimore's buzzing club scene, the duo still chose to base themselves in Philadelphia, where they gained major popularity with their energetic live performances, thanks in part to the addition of DJ Ronnie Darko to their act. Quickly catching the eye of Big Dada, Ninja Tune's sister US label, Spank Rock released Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo in 2006 and the remix album Voila the following year.