New Boyz were a hip-hop duo that consisted of rappers Earl “Ben J” Benjamin and Dominic “Legacy” Thomas.

Both Benjamin and Thomas met as freshman at Hesperia High School. They were originally rivals, but shortly became friends over a common interest in music. With their October birthdays only a day apart, they pooled their gift money to buy recording equipment. Thomas then taught himself how to make beats for the group’s songs. After Thomas transferred to a new school in May 2008, the two decided to form a group. Originally, they began performing together as the Swagger Boyz on July 4, 2008 and crated a MySpace page to promote their self-published single, “Colorz.”

In the Summer of 2009, the duo released the single, “You’re a Jerk.” It became a national heat, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo then released their debut album, Skinny Jeanz and a Mic in September 2009. In July 2010, the duo collaborated with Iyaz on the song “Break My Bank,” which peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2011, the duo released their second studio album, Too Cool to Care, on May 17, 2011. On the album, the duo planned to focus less on the “jerkin'” aspect of the music, instead emphasizing more diverse influences. The duo planned to experiment with other genres besides hip-hop, including rock.

In 2012, the duo released their debut mixtape and their final project, Foolie Tape. It included the single, “FM$ (Freak My Shit),” which debuted at #108 on the Billboard 200. It is one of their most popular songs to date.

On February 28, 2013, Legacy announced via Twitter that the group had been working on their third album for Warner Records. However, on November 9, 2013, after many speculations that the group has gone their separate ways, Ben J officially stated they have decided to split up in order to pursue solo careers. Ben J stated in an interview:

We’ve shared our talents with the world as a duo and had a very successful career in doing so, our songs stayed on the charts and our videos always received millions and millions of organic views on YouTube and Vevo. But after selling out shows and touring all over the world, we’ve decided that we’d like to share our talents with our fans individually. Together or apart; we’ve made our mark in American music history and our imprint will never be forgotten. I wish my brother (Legacy) the best in all that he does, and can’t wait till we’re both at the Grammy’s getting nominated for our solo efforts; and so begins a new chapter, in a new book; with this New Boy.

The duo temporarily reunited in the 2014 film, School Dance. After 7 years of being split, the duo quickly reunited in December 2021, when Ben J teased a new single, titled “You’re a Jerk 2.” It served as the official sequel to their 2009 hit single. It was released on January 18, 2022, temporarily reuniting the duo one again.

Top Song