by Jason Birchmeier
Led by prominent Oakland producer Ant Banks, TWDY (The Whole Damn Yey) also features Dolla Will and Captain Save'm. This trio focuses on the hard, sleazy, gangsta style of rap Banks helped define on his work for 132295Too $hort, Spice 1, and E-40 among others. Their first release, Derty Werk, appeared in 1999 after Banks had spent the better part of the decade making a name for himself as one of the West Coast's best producers and also with a handful of his own less-successful solo albums. The single "Players Holiday" catapulted Derty Werk to moderate success in urban America and remained in rotation in many areas until the quick follow-up, Lead the Way.