Skinny Jeanz and a Mic

Skinny Jeanz and a Mic was the debut studio album by jerkin' crew and rap duo New Boyz, Legacy and Ben J. It was released on September 15, 2009, via Shotty Music, Asylum Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was heavily influenced by jerkin' music. It received generally positive reviews, being called the sixth best album of 2009 by The New York Times. The album was released after the duo brought jerkin' to national attention with their viral hit "You're a Jerk", which later became a commercial success and the first single off their album. The second single "Tie Me Down", featuring Ray J, was released and also was successful. The album debuted at fifty-six on the Billboard 200, and at number twelve on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and eight on Top Rap Albums. The album was produced by New Boyz member, Legacy, and also contributions from producers, Jay-Nari and DJ Felli Fel. The album was originally scheduled for release, August 18, 2009, but plans were changed for unknown reasons. Legacy received main production credits on the album. In an interview with Format Magazine he said, "I started making beats because I didn’t want everybody else’s sound. We wanted our own sound. So, I had no choice but to make my own beats to get that sound." In an interview with Ozone Magazine, when asked about their music and the revival of the "newer west" movement, Ben J stated, "Everything is becoming positive out here. People are growing out of that old mentality. Rapping about gangs ain’t really what it’s about out here now. Everybody is having fun." In the same interview, Legacy said, "I think music like ours is coming from people being tired of the same ol’ thing. People thought they had to bang to be the cool kid but now the smart kid is the cool kid. People being creative are the people coming up right now."
In an interview with HipHopDX, Legacy said the album was, "[It’s] pretty much like the lifestyle and the culture of the typical California teenager put in[to] music. It’s going to surprise a lot of people, because a lot of people think we just make the jerk songs [and] dance music." According to Legacy, only two tracks on the album are jerking songs. He also stated that the album is about a lot of different topics, and was quick to point out that most of them were pre-"Jerk" stating they were fifteen songs in before 'You're a Jerk'. Most of the producers on the album were mostly unknown, local producers. Legacy said, "We have no big producers on our album. All of our producers are like kids our age. Everything compliments each other, because the style and the music are so new to the game."