By the mid-90s, Naughty By Nature was on a roll. Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee had dropped 19 Naughty III two years prior, which yielded their second Top 10 single to be featured on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the unforgettable earworm, “Hip Hop Hooray.”
Two years before that, NBN (formerly known as The New Style) reinvented themselves and exploded onto the scene with 1991’s self-titled release. That particular project produced “O.P.P.” — their first Top 10 hit.
On May 30, the East Coast trio unleashed their fourth official studio album and final for Tommy Boy Records, 1995’s Poverty’s Paradise — another bona fide success. The project peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified gold by the RIAA.
Singles included “Craziest,” “Clap Yo Hands” and “Feel Me Flow.” Although they weren’t Top 10 singles, “Feel Me Flow” came relatively close at No. 17.
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In the video for “Feel Me Flow,” a shirtless Treach (which is usually how you’ll find him) and Vin head from the scorching heat of New Jersey to the snowy slopes of Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont.
Legendary guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths had been hanging out with NBN around this time. Watching their videos on Yo! MTV Raps, he was inspired by their athleticism and actually started running because of them, something he explained in a recent interview with HipHopDX.
Poverty’s Paradise also made history. At the 1996 Grammy Awards ceremony, it won a gilded trophy in the Best Rap Album category — a first. The category was just created that year.
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Samples peppered throughout the album include Sam & Dave’s “Soul Sister Brown Sugar,” The Meters’ “Find Yourself,” Ohio Players’ “Funky Worm” and Micheal Jackson’s “People Make The World Go Round.”
In the years since, NBN has released three more studio albums — 1999’s Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature’s Fury, 2002’s IIcons and 2011’s Anthem Inc. They continue touring the world with their signature brand of Hip Hop, thrilling their audiences in the process.
