The group formed in East Orange, New Jersey, and first appeared on the music scene in the late 1980's releasing an album titled The Independent Leaders, under their then name The New Style. The album generated the minor hit "Scuffin' Those Knees". After the release of their first album, the group was subsequently mentored by fellow New Jersey native Queen Latifah and consequently changed their name.
Their first hit as Naughty By Nature was a track titled "O.P.P." ("Other People's Parts"), which sampled the The Jackson 5's hit "ABC" and was released in 1991 on their self-titled debut album. The album also generated another hit titled "Ghetto Bastard" (the track is often referred to as "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"). Fellow New Jersey native Tony D, accused Naughty by Nature of stealing a sample from his breakbeat album Music Makes You Move and using it on their track "O.P.P.". The matter was settled out of court. Later they had multiple hits from their third and fourth albums, titled 19 Naughty III and Poverty's Paradise respectively.
"Hip Hop Hooray" was a success from the album 19 Naughty III. Its video was directed by Spike Lee and featured other hip-hop artists popular in the early 1990's, including Queen Latifah, Eazy-E, and Kris Kross.
The group also scored a major hit with the track "Uptown Anthem", from the soundtrack to the 2Pac movie Juice.
In later years, Naughty by Nature started their own music imprint, Illtown Records, and released an album from their proteges the Rottin Razkals. The group (mainly Kaygee) worked closely with a number of rnb groups over the years particularly Zhané and Next.
An ongoing dispute between Kaygee and Treach saw Kaygee leave Naughty by Nature in late 2000 to concentrate on his Divine Mill label. The remainder of the group released an album in 2002 titled IIcons, using a variety of different producers including Da Beatminerz - the album however received a lukewarm reception from the public. Treach is rumoured to be releasing a solo album soon. Kaygee has been extremely successful building his Divine Mill imprint with 2 platinum plus albums on both (Divine Mill acts) Jaheim and Next as well as songs on albums from Syleena Johnson and Charlie Wilson among others. In May 2006 Kay Gee reunited with Treach and Naughty by Nature at a concert at B.B. King's nightclub. They will be working together on their next album.
Throw It Up CD
Naughty By Nature Lyrics
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Papa don't feel bad,
Cold on the street better gotta keep my bang to the bang back.
But I got my hood, my city, my brothers, (my) family
That's all I have yeah, oh
We hope our friends make it up to heaven,
And if we fall, then we forgotten,
Don't let our little brothers grow up like we did
Let them grow up and get a job,
Don't let them grow up behind bars,
Tryna' be hard, oh father can you
(Rest will come)
The lyrics to "Throw It Up" by Naughty By Nature touch on themes of survival, family, and hope. The opening lines of the verse speak to a difficult situation the singer is experiencing, possibly on the streets, but they ask their parents not to feel bad for them. They acknowledge the reality of the danger and uncertainty of their surroundings, expressing the need to maintain a sense of readiness and self-preservation ("better gotta keep my bang to the bang back").
However, despite the hardships they may face, the singer finds solace in their community and family ties. They express a sense of pride and loyalty towards their "hood," city, and brothers, emphasizing that these relationships are all they have. This sentiment is reiterated in the chorus, with the line "We throw it up for the ones that we love" - 'throwing it up' can refer to displaying a sign or gesture of respect for one's affiliations.
Later in the verse, the lyrics shift to address the singer's father directly, as they contemplate the possibility of not surviving their circumstances. They express a desire for their friends to be rewarded in the afterlife and say that they hope they won't be forgotten if they fall. The final lines offer advice and a plea for their younger siblings to have a chance at a different life - one that's not defined by violence or incarceration.
Overall, "Throw It Up" is a song that speaks to the realities of living in certain communities, while also emphasizing the importance of connection, family, and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama don't cry for me,
Don't worry about me, mom, I'll be okay
Papa don't feel bad,
Dad, don't be upset
Cold on the street better gotta keep my bang to the bang back.
It's rough out here, so I have to stay vigilant and ready to defend myself against any violence
But I got my hood, my city, my brothers,
Despite the harsh conditions, I have my hometown, my community, and my close friends who support me
(my) family
I also have my family who cares for me
That's all I have yeah, oh
But in reality, that's all I really need to feel secure and loved
Father if you still listen,
Dear God, if you can hear me
We hope our friends make it up to heaven,
We pray that our friends who have passed away find peace in the afterlife
And if we fall, then we forgotten,
If we die, please don't let us be forgotten
Don't let our little brothers grow up like we did
We don't want our younger siblings to be exposed to the same struggles we faced growing up
Let them grow up and get a job,
We want our siblings to have a stable career
Don't let them grow up behind bars,
We want them to stay out of prison
Tryna' be hard, oh father can you
We don't want them to feel like they have to act tough to survive
(Rest will come)
We trust that God will take care of the rest
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: ANGELO TY-QAN ROSS, ANTHONY CRISS, CHRISTOPHER MAPP, DONTAE WINSLOW, KEIR GIST, ROBERT LYNDELL LEWIS, TERENCE ABNEY, ANGELO TYQAN ROSS, CHRISTOPHER DEAN MAPP, ROBERT L. LEWIS, KEIR LAMONT GIST
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