New Boyz

Rap duo New Boyz are best known for bringing Southern California’s jerkin’ dance craze to the mainstream in the early 2010s. • Dominic “Legacy” Thomas and Earl “Ben J” Benjamin met as freshmen in high school in Hesperia, California. They pooled their money to purchase recording equipment and taught themselves how to use the production software FL Studio. • Initially going by Swagger Boyz, the duo promoted their first single, “Colorz,” on Myspace in 2008. • New Boyz gained recognition with their official debut single, 2008’s “You’re A Jerk,” which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and popularized their hometown’s “jerkin’” dance. • The duo’s 2009 debut album, Skinny Jeanz and a Mic, also spawned the Top 40 single “Tie Me Down,” featuring Ray J. • Their 2011 sophomore album, Too Cool to Care, yielded two more Top 40 hits. That same year, they collaborated with the pop-rock band Hot Chelle Rae on the single “I Like It Like That,” which also made the Top 40. • After a brief hiatus, New Boyz reunited for Nick Cannon’s 2014 film School Dance before officially disbanding.