Naughty by Nature is an American hip hop group formed in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1986. The group consists of Treach (Anthony S. Criss, born December 2, 1970), Vin Rock (Vincent E. Brown, born September 17, 1970), and DJ Kay Gee (Keir Lamont Gist, born September 15, 1969). The group was formed in 1986 under the name The New Style by Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee, who attended East Orange Campus High School together. They initially performed at local talent shows and clubs in the East Orange area. In 1989, they released their debut album, "Independent Leaders", which included the single "Scuffin' Those Knees". Following the album's release, they were mentored by Queen Latifah, who introduced them to Tommy Boy Records and her management company. The group subsequently changed its name to Naughty by Nature. Naughty by Nature achieved commercial success in 1991 with the single "O.P.P.", released from their self-titled second album, "Naughty by Nature". The song, which samples "ABC" by the Jackson 5, reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also included "Everything's Gonna Be All Right", a reworking of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry", which was released as "Ghetto Bastard" on some explicit editions. Supported by the success of these singles, the album was certified platinum. During the early 1990s, producer Tony D alleged that the group had used a sample from his album "Music Makes You Move" in "O.P.P.". The dispute was settled out of court. In 1992, the group contributed the single "Uptown Anthem" to the soundtrack of the film "Juice", in which Treach made a cameo appearance. Treach later pursued an acting career and appeared with the group in the 1993 film "The Meteor Man". Following the death of Tupac Shakur in 1996, Treach recorded the tribute song "Mourn You Til I Join You". The group's third and fourth studio albums, "19 Naughty III" and "Poverty's Paradise", both reached number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "19 Naughty III" included the single "Hip Hop Hooray", whose music video was directed by Spike Lee and featured appearances by Queen Latifah, Eazy-E, Run-D.M.C., and Da Youngstas. "Poverty's Paradise" won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1996, becoming the first recipient of the award. The album also included the single "Feel Me Flow", which reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1995, the group produced a remix of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson's "Scream". During the mid-1990s, they established the record label Illtown Records and released an album by the group Rottin Razkals. In 1999, Naughty by Nature released its fifth studio album, "Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and included the single "Jamboree", which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the release of "Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury", financial disagreements developed between Treach and DJ Kay Gee, leading to Kay Gee's departure from the group in late 2000. He subsequently established the record label Divine Mill. In 2001, Naughty by Nature released the song "Here Comes the Money", which became the entrance theme of professional wrestler Shane McMahon in WWE. Treach and Vin Rock continued as a duo and released the album "IIcons" in 2002, working with several producers, including Da Beatminerz. The group disbanded later that year. In May 2006, DJ Kay Gee reunited with Treach during a performance at B.B. King's nightclub, rejoining the group. In 2010, Naughty by Nature released the single "Get to Know Me Better", featuring Pitbull, with "I Gotta Lotta" as its B-side. Later that year, they released their first mixtape, "Naughty by Nature: Tha Mixtape". Their seventh studio album, "Anthem Inc.", was released on December 13, 2011, featuring new material alongside re-recorded versions of earlier songs. On June 11, 2011, Naughty by Nature became the first hip hop group to perform at Fenway Park, performing "Hip Hop Hooray" during the NKOTBSB concert. In March 2012, following the release of a documentary about Sugar Hill Gang, the group performed at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In May 2013, Treach announced that Vin Rock was no longer a member of the group, citing personal and professional differences. In April 2015, Treach stated that the two had resolved their disagreements, although he described their relationship as strictly professional and indicated that another studio album was unlikely. In January 2016, to mark the group's 25th anniversary, Naughty by Nature released the music video for "God Is Us" from "Anthem Inc." on its YouTube channel. On May 2, 2019, the group joined the Mixtape Tour, which also featured Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, and headliners New Kids on the Block. In 2025, Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker included Naughty by Nature in a list of "20 underrated bands from the 1990s who are worth rediscovering". Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naughty_by_Nature Studio albums Independent Leaders (1989) Naughty by Nature (1991) 19 Naughty III (1993) Poverty's Paradise (1995) Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury (1999) IIcons (2002) Anthem Inc. (2011)
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