*When you look at Hip-Hop duos you sometimes
wonder to yourself 'why are they a group?' Their timing
is off, their enthusiasm is down and their chemistry isn't
genuine. Then, the next thing you know, they're bashing
one another in the press and the whole things turns out
to be one regrettable mess.
So far, Naughty By Nature has been an exception
to that rule. Vinnie and Treach have performed together
with unprecedented chemistry and style. It's their opposing
attributes that, when blended, create something both
naughty and natural. Vinnie's humbleness and Treach's
bravado. Treach as superstar MC for Vinnie's blue collar
approach, Treach's jailhouse diesel physique to Vinnie's
homeboy down the block body-type. Vinnie's smile to
Treach's poker face. These qualities blended together
and have cemented the two through thick and thin.
We had the pleasure of running into the them during
the shoot for the video to their new single "Feels Good"
(featuring 3LW) and Vinnie was eager to talk about the
group's Nigerian experience.
"Wow, we went to Nigeria," said Vinnie. "That was our
first time going to that part of Africa. We went to South Africa
last year, but going to Nigeria was like going in the bush. You
really got to see some down home Africans. They just came
out of 15 years of civil war and no one wanted to go to Nigeria.
When you look up Nigeria on the Internet for travel advisories,
they just totally sh*t on the country. When we got there it was
all love. Nigerians had never seen us in the 12 years we've been
out. Then for us to be the first Hip-Hop group to come there ever,
they really appreciated that because everyone else is so scared
to go over there. Can you imagine that? People that have been
listening to your music for over a decade and they've never even
seen you, then you go and step on their soil? Man, it was off
the hook."
Vinnie told us the group made stops in the states of Lagos,
Benin and Abidjan. Seeing as though the country only has
a partial government at this time. Their security depended
on the will of the people and it was all good.
One thing that isn't all good is Naughty's relationship
with former beatmaker Kay-Gee. Vin was a little bit elusive
on the subject, but he did clue us in on a lil' sum' 'em.
"Well, basically, Kay ...," then Vin paused for a second.
"Well, there's a lot of internal stuff. You're going to have to wait
and see VH-1's "Behind the Music" for that. Some foul play went
on, but eventually he got out the way, and now Treach and I can
move on. It was on a financial tip that we tried to patch up and
make better. Naughty By Nature was working through it, because
we three were a tea. It wasn't our fault, the mishap was his fault.
We're just glad he made his decision to leave so we can keep
it moving."
Not only was the situation with their former in-house producer
affecting their financial bottom line, it was affecting the frequency
of their product output as well. We always thought it was
counterproductive for the group to drop a bangin' summer
jam ... then wait five years to drop something else. Now
we have some insight as to why.
"You will hear Naughty product way more consistently
than you ever have," Vinnie told us. "That drama broke out
in 1995 and since then we've only put out one album. That
was in 1999 and during that whole time frame we were working
through internal bullsh*t."
It's been a long time since Naughty By Nature released product.
For sometime they seemed like they were the Jamal Mashburn's
of Hip-Hop, capable of putting up big numbers ... when they
weren't on the DL.
With "IIcons" Naughty plans on smacking the naysayers
with the bass and treble. The top notch talent featured on the
album alongside the group helps bring it up a level. Redman,
Method Man, 3LW, Queen Latifah, Pink and others will be
featured on the set. We figured Redman should've done
something with Naughty years ago.
"It was people we had mutual love for," said Vin. "Everybody
in Jersey wanted us to do a record with Redman, but I really think
this is the best time for it to happen. With this album we're pulling
out all the stops."
Naughty's upcoming CD, "IIcons," is due to drop this spring.
In a future edition of the EUR we talk to Treach about his African
experience, his acting skills, his solo album and those nasty
porno rumors. Wait-a-minute! It's not a rumor if it's true, huh?