Hip-hop listeners who grew up during the 2000s understand the sheer amount of fun The Ying Yang Twins provided to dance floors worldwide. From the Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz classic collaboration "Get Low" to their club bangers like "Whistle While You Twerk" and "Wait," Kaine and D-Roc helped evolve booty-shaking music to new levels. Though it's been some time since their mainstream dominance, the two have continued to release new music and tour the world. However, the two never released individual solo projects until now.

Last week, D-Roc (also known as D-RocYing) released his first album, America's Most Wanted, through his label 2Lit. A showcase for his own creative talents, it's also an opportunity to usher in the next generation of artists from his Atlanta base. Though produced primarily with in-house DJ Krispy Kreme, longtime Ying Yang Twins fans will be happy to know that America's Most Wanted features a single production credit with longtime collaborator Mr. Collipark. D-Roc hopes the project will set the stage for more releases from 2Lit throughout the year.

Speaking with BET.com, D-Roc talks 2Lit, his production choices for his debut album and the legacy the Ying Yang Twins have left on hip-hop.

BET.com: You dropped America's Most Wanted, your first solo album. Why release that now?

D-RocYing: Basically, me and my little brother had got together and was like let’s start the 2Lit Entertainment label. When we started the label, we wanted everybody to go in to get in but everybody didn’t go in enough time for me. So, I had to go in and drop mine first. After mine, you’re going to hear stuff dropping like every three months with all of my artists. What I'm trying to do is, I'm trying to do it like Wu-Tang did with the whole ninjas. They did the whole ninja situation.

BET.com: What’s the balance of catering to longtime Ying Yang Twins fans while trying to capture a new audience?

D-RocYing: Basically man, I make music just from my heart so it ain’t trying to capture nobody fans because music is music to me. The music that I make is the music that I feel like I love making and want people to enjoy it.

BET.com: America's Most Wanted features production mainly by DJ Krispy Kreme, with a sole track produced by Mr. Collipark. Can you explain the choice in how you picked beats for the project?

D-RocYing: DJ Krispy Kreme is my in-house producer. That’s my up-and-rising producer that I’m bringing to the table as well. Then you have all my artists coming up under me as well. What I’m trying to do is cut down on using all the internet beats. We ain’t got to get internet beats. That’s what my kids are doing. I got my kids and other family members on the label as well. My project is to show everybody on my label that if I can do it, you can do it too.

When it comes to Mr. Collipark, it’s about the relationship man. That’s the home team. Me and Mr. Collipark have been hip and clipped to the hip since we met. If I ask him for anything, he’ll do it for me. That’s how it went down. I was like I need a beat and he said I got you.

BET.com: Speaking of old school, you just performed during the BET Awards 2023 celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop. What don’t people understand about the Ying Yang Twins' contribution to Hip-Hop?

D-RocYing: One thing that I tell everybody is that they always try to compare us and put us in the crunk lane and we’re not. The Ying Yang Twins have always made twerk music. So that’s what my project stands for. It’s twerk music; period. That’s what we started. That’s what we stand for and that’s what I’m going to keep on standing for. I believe in twerk music. We have our own lane. We make music for everybody. As long as my music is selling, that’s what we’re going to do. Everybody is enjoying our music.

BET.com: From when you all started, how much has Atlanta’s Hip Hop scene evolved?

D-RocYing: It’s gone all the way up because when we first started, it was the grind. You had to really grind. We paved the way for all these little youngins to do it. I feel like we put in work. We put in work to get the city on the map. So we put the city on the map to make it easy for them to do it. I love everything that’s coming out of the city from the newer artists from the ones on my label to the ones who aren’t. I was the same young artist that they were but I didn’t have anybody to move me and give me advice. That’s what I’m doing with my artists. They can take it the wrong way or could take it the right way, but I at least want to be there to take you on that journey.

BET.com: What’s some of the best advice you’ve given to some of the artists on 2Lit?

D-RocYing: Take care of your business. Make sure you take care of your business. Don’t expect somebody else to take care of your business. When you go get an education, that’s taking care of your business. Because if your business isn’t right, anybody can mess over you. I’m not saying me because I’m not trying to mess over any of my artists. If they feel like they want to leave and go somewhere else, they’re still going to need to take care of business because you might get messed over going somewhere else.

I hold nobody back because a lot of my artists are my kids and kin folk. I know my kids and how they are. They get rebellious and want their own identity. They like to prove that they can do it on their own. That mindset is going to make them a hell of an artist. We’re making a fire team over here.

BET.com: Before we wrap up, Will we see another Ying Yang Twins album and what’s your favorite song that you’ve made?

D-RocYing: Ying Yang is just forever. That’s my brother from another mother, so we’re always working. Get ready for Kaine’s project too. He is getting ready to drop as well—all of them, period. Every Ying Yang song that I’ve ever recorded is my favorite song.

Stream the album here.