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Biography
Formed of high school MCs Treach (Anthony Criss) and Vinnie (Vincent Brown) and DJ Kay Gee (Keir Gist), the hip hop group originally performed under the name New Style. After playing a number of live gigs and talent shows, the trio were discovered by Queen Latifah, who signed the group to her management company and secured a record deal with Tommy Boy Records.
The group’s debut eponymously-titled album arrived in 1991, spawning the utterly infectious Top Ten hit “O.P.P.” which sampled Jackson 5’s “ABC”. The single earned the group significant esteem as they were able to walk the fine line between maintaining their ghetto reputation in the underground and producing catchy anthemic funk for the mainstream. Treach, along with being a more than capable lyrical wordsmith, also turned his hand to acting, making appearances in the films “The Meteor Man”, Who’s the Man?” and “Jason’s Lyric”.
Like its predecessor, Naughty by Nature’s sophomore release “19 Naughty III” in 1993 was praised to the rafters by fans and similarly went platinum. The album produced the hit “Hip Hop Hooray”, known for its inescapable “Hey, Ho” chant; the single became synonymous with the era’s style of hip hop. The group’s follow-up album “Poverty’s Paradise” in 1995 earned a Grammy for Best Rap Album despite the lack of hit singles and marked the group’s departure from Tommy Boy Records.
A hiatus ensued with Treach landing a role in the HBO prison drama “Oz” and DJ Kay Gee, focusing on his production work for the likes of Zhané, Aaliyah and Next to name a few. In 1999 Naughty by Nature returned with the album “10 Naughty Nine: Nature’s Fury” and produced the sizeable hit “Jamboree” featuring Zhané. Kay Gee officially departed the group after the release to focus on his production work, and subsequently the duo singed with TVT. The group went on to release the album “IIcons” in 2002 successfully sustaining their career into the new millennium.
Live reviews
If nothing else, Naughty by Nature will always be able to lay claim to having made hip hop history; they won the inaugural Grammy award for Best Rap Album in 1995, for their fourth full-length, Poverty’s Paradise. Over the course of a fourteen year initial career, they carved out a reputation as one of the most loved hip hop acts of the nineties, with their track ‘O.P.P.’ widely considered to be one of the all-time classics of the genre. Throughout that decade, they balanced commercial success with genuine credibility within their genre; Poverty’s Paradise, for instance, featured guest spots diverse enough to range from Queen Latifah to Eazy-E. In 2003, they officially split; like so many of their nineties contemporaries, they quickly found themselves left behind the early noughties when the predilection within hip hop for materialism and chart-friendliness went into overdrive. In 2006, though, they reformed, and continue to be a going concern today, with their most recent record, Anthem Inc., released in 2011. They continue to tour, too, being particularly popular on the festival circuit; unsurprisingly, their live show is a high-octane affair, with de facto frontman Treach often taking to the stage brandishing the iconic Naughty by Nature baseball bat.
Joeg_67
Many people do not realise quite how long New Jersey hip hop duo Naughty By Nature have been working the circuit, having originally started the group in 1988. The duo consisting of Treach and DJ Kay Gee went on to make hip hop history with their fourth album 'Poverty's Paradise' as it scooped the very first Best Rap Album at the Grammys.
They are a must see for anybody with knowledge of the genres of rap and hip hop so therefore the shows often get sold out fast due to the infrequency of the live dates.
The atmosphere is always assured to be electric as fans pack into the venue in order to jump, sing and attempt to rap along to the likes of 'O.P.P' and 'Uptown Anthem'. An unexpected cover of Queen's 'We Will Rock You' sends energy levels even higher before they get back to their own material for a nostalgic finale of 'Hip Hop Hooray' from 1993. From the deafening cheers the audience gift at the finale of the show it is pretty clear that Naughty By Nature put on one hell of a great gig this evening.
sean-ward
Naughty by Nature are a beloved 80s hip hop group who are considered as some of the pioneers of the music genre. During their heyday in the early 90s the group was hugely successful and even won a Grammy for their fourth album ‘Poverty’s Paradise’. They have had an incredible career and have enjoyed a huge fan following back in the day, when Fresh Prince of Bel Air was the best thing on TV and they were the coolest kids on the block. Even now, the audience is just as full of youngsters, the band are still going strong with an album release in 2011 after all, as it is filled with nostalgic fans reliving the late 80s and early 90s. The hip hop group are perfect on stage, full of energy and cool swagger, proving that they still got it. They performed a whole range of hits, both new and old, although it was their classic old school hits such as ‘O.P.P’ that received the biggest cheer from the crowd and that got everyone singing along.
sabraziz
I'll preface this with I've been a nbn fan since day 1; they're still in daily playlists, etc.
Last night's show was EASILY the WORST waste of time and money I've ever experienced. If you're coming into town and you do just 3 songs that you didn't even finish, on top of abbreviated medleys of OTHER rapper's songs...DONT EVEN BOTHER SHOWING UP. What a waste of time to see my childhood faves get on stage, slam Hennessy and give me 35 shitty minutes of their time.
I've always wanted to see these guys live and now I wish I didn't. Biggest musical disappointment of my life.
The sad part is, they don't give a shit and will never hear this review. I'm not sure anybody was happy leaving the venue last night, but whatever---they got paid, right?
Pathetic. Waste. Of time. Thanks, NBN for ruining what I thought was going to be the best concert I was going to see
fredpeck
As a child of the late 70s who grew up with Naughty By Nature hitting the scenes while I was in middle school, this was a bucket-list show I'm glad I've got to go see, finally... now that I'm almost 40! These guys destroyed the stage in all the good ways, and rocked a very diverse crowd of young and old, and people of all colors! Treach at 45 years of age still looks like a guy in his late 20s, and these hip-hop legends represented their peers of the past such as Tupac & Biggie, Snoop Dogg, and many others with tributes, stories and other mentions. I was lucky enough to run into Treach after the show on the casino floor, and he graciously took a few pictures with my group of friends. What a night! Go see these guys, and stay NAUGHTY!
aronktaylor
Just awesome my first time seeing naughty but long time fan so happy I got to see them from the when they opened up with OPP to dropping other Classica like jamboree and feel me flow all around great show plus the fact they were playing at beerfest made it all the better good vibes surrounded by old hip heads and N×N fans suggestion to anybody who's never seen them or is debating it Go! You'll enjoy.
- Joppen
derek-joppen
We had a fabulous time at this concert! It was great to see the triple threat all together on the stage! The energy was all the way live! You won't be disappointed. This was the first concert on their 27 city tour! Charlotte was hype! Thank you Naughy By Nature for 25 years!
Pana2x
Well they dropped Naughty By Nature from Atlanta for whatever reason. I was really disappointed, I purchased tickets for N by N. But TLC give a great performance. So if you get the chance to catch a TLC go for it, Chlli still move like shes a teenager.
chris-hines
Omg was the best freaking concert ever. I mean my face is burnt. From the fire they were spitting at me. And the Headlines where amazing too. Mamaduke destroyed it
DJ_Static25
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