As a writer, she was extremely focused on the lyrical content of her work, as she "took notice of how music affected people, realizing how it makes people reminisce and eases pain; how it uplifts, calms, and heals."  She debuted via the limited release EP Sweet Yesterday in 2002, but largely remained a regional artist.  Yolanda returned in mid-2006 with the rhythmic first single, "Individual" and the eight-song disc Violet Flower, her first significant release.  The album and single took off on the indie soul circuit, with "Individual" being adopted by television network BET-J and Johnson being named the network's "Breakout Artist of the Year."  Johnson followed with a limited national tour.