What Happened To Naughty By Nature? | Treach Fired Vin Rock on Twitter?
Naughty by Nature: The Rise and Challenges of a Hip-Hop Trio
Formation and Early Years
- Naughty by Nature, a hip-hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey, consists of Anthony "Stretch" Chris, Vincent "Vinrock" Brown, and Pierre "DJ KG" Lamont Gist. They first performed together at East Orange High School during DJ KG's senior talent show in 1987.
- DJ KG was inspired to become a DJ after watching the 1983 film Wild Style. He recruited childhood friend Vinnie to beatbox and later brought in Treach (Tiny T) as their MC.
- The group initially went by the name "The New Style," performing regularly at local talent shows and gaining popularity.
Breakthrough and Success
- In late 1989, they released their debut album titled Independent Leaders and organized a talent show to showcase their skills to other artists in the New York/New Jersey hip-hop collective known as Flavor Unit.
- Queen Latifah became their mentor after being impressed with their performance. They changed their name to Naughty by Nature, inspired by one of their demo tracks.
- Their first major hit was "OPP," which sampled Jackson 5's "ABC" and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also featured another hit called "Everything's Gonna Be Alright."
Continued Success and Controversies
- Following the success of OPP, they faced legal issues when Tony D accused them of sampling his work without permission. This dispute was eventually settled out of court.
- Their second album included hits like “Hip Hop Hooray,” which reached the top ten on the Hot 100 and won them a Grammy for Best Rap Album with Poverty’s Paradise.
Changes Within the Group
- After establishing Illtown Records, tensions arose between members regarding finances. DJ KG left Naughty by Nature in late 2000 to focus on production under Divine Mill Records.
- Treach and Vinrock continued as a duo but struggled without KG; they released an album titled Icons in 2002 that did not perform well commercially.
Reunion Attempts and Ongoing Conflicts
- After some time apart, all three members reunited in late 2011 for their seventh album titled Anthem Inc., featuring new material alongside re-recorded hits.
- In 2013, Treach publicly fired Vinrock via Twitter, escalating tensions within the group further with subsequent diss tracks exchanged between members.
Naughty by Nature: The Rise and Challenges
Tensions Within the Group
- Treach discusses the internal conflicts within Naughty by Nature, emphasizing that "no one is bigger than the team" and highlighting the importance of respecting each member's role.
- He reveals that he was instrumental in bringing Vin into the group, providing him with verses on their songs, but tensions escalated when Vin allegedly assaulted Treach during a business meeting.
- Following this incident, there was a two-year period of silence between Treach and Vin while they continued to fulfill their professional obligations.
Anniversary and Fundraising Efforts
- In 2016, as they celebrated their 25th anniversary, all members reconciled and embarked on a nationwide tour aimed at raising funds for an EP through Kickstarter.
- Unfortunately, they fell short of their goal by $65,000 despite the tour's success.
Collaborations and New Projects
- The mixtape tour began in May 2019 featuring various artists alongside Naughty by Nature. They expressed positive sentiments about their experiences with Tommy Boy Records.
- KG and Vin Rock formed a new group called Illtown Sluggers to produce records and develop new talent while continuing to work on projects related to Naughty by Nature.
Misunderstandings Regarding Releases
- A project titled "Illtown Sluggers" was released under the Naughty by Nature name without Treach's consent; he clarified it was not meant for public release as an official album.
- Treach announced plans for a legitimate Naughty by Nature album expected to drop in 2020; however, it has yet to be released as of this video.
Individual Endeavors Post-Naughty by Nature
- In 2021, Vin launched Money Avenue, a black-owned digital financial services platform offering various financial products across the nation.
- Treach continues his solo career with performances at nostalgic events like I Love the '90s tours and has also ventured into acting with roles in several productions.