Naughty by Nature

One of the best selling hip-hop groups of the '90s, Naughty By Nature was founded by East Orange, New Jersey natives Kay Gee, Treach, and Vin Rock. Originally recording under the name New Style, the group released their first album, Independent Leaders, in 1989. Their self titled debut under the name Naughty By Nature came in 1990 and made a much bigger impact, carrying with it the Grammy nominated hit track "O.P.P." NBN would use their growing success to mentor fellow New Jersey rapper Queen Latifah, and eventually co-found the imprint Illtown Records. After contributing the hit song "Uptown Anthem" to the soundtrack to the movie "Juice" (1992), the group returned in 1993 with the album 19 Naughty III. This spawned another Grammy nominated song, "Hip Hop Hooray." Their status continued to climb with the release of 1995's Poverty's Paradise, which won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. They achieved success again when 1999's Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury was certified Gold by the RIAA, but internal struggles over finances led Kay Gee to leave the group the following year. The remaining members released Ilcons two years later, but ultimately chose to disband following its lukewarm reception. The members each worked on independent projects until 2011, when Naughty By Nature reunited for the album Anthem Inc., a collection of both new and old material released to mark the band's 20 year anniversary.