19 Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury [Clean] [Edited]

Performer: Naughty by Nature
Artist: Silkk The Shocker; Big Pun; Big Punisher; Zhane; Master P; Mystikal; Phiness; Next; Rustic Overtones; Mag; Krayzie Bone; Coffee Brown; Castro; Chain Gang Platune
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Naughty By Nature: Vinnie, KayGee, Treach. Additional personnel: Adam Kudzin, Castro (vocals); Tony Sunshine, Cliff Lighty (background vocals); Coffee Brown, Mag, Krayzie Bone, Silkk The Shocker, Chain Gang Platune, Phiness, Zhane, Master P, Mystikal, Big Punisher, Rustic Overtones, Sari, Cindy. Producers include: Naughty By Nature, Mufi, Donald Robinson, KayGee, Falonte Moore. Engineers include: Adam Kudzin, Darren Lighty, Ken Johnston. Recording information: Battery Studios, NY; Da Mill Studios, NJ; Ice Cream Shop, LA, CA; Perfect Pair Studios, NJ. Longevity is a rare for hip-hop artists, since audiences place a priority on new sounds. It's difficult for veteran acts to continue to cultivate new sounds, and many have fallen by the wayside as they've tried to keep up with the times -- but not Naughty By Nature. They've never really changed their core sound, which is an alluring fusion of hardcore sentiments, pop hooks, and funky rhythms. But by not changing, they've managed to retain an audience, since they're reliable -- each Naughty By Nature record sounds essentially the same, but it's a satisfying sound that balances catchy hooks and clever, literate rhymes. Few artists are ever able to establish a track record like that, and it's amazing that 19 Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury -- the group's fourth album and first for Arista Records -- maintains the high quality. True, some listeners may wish NBN tried out different sounds and styles, but for the most part, the album delivers what any fan of the group could want: several killer party jams, a couple of slow numbers, and a handful of amiable filler. Nothing stands out as an outright classic in the vein of "O.P.P." or "Hip Hop Hooray," but there's genuine grit to the rhythms and rhymes and the music remains accessible and catchy -- in short, the best of Nature's Fury proves that it's possible to be melodic and hardcore at the same time, to have both hooks and substance. It might not break new ground, but the album proves that Vinnie and Treach have developed their own signature sound and have found ways to keep it fresh and exciting nearly a decade into their career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Though Naughty By Nature will be hard pressed to equal the impact made with their 1991 self-titled debut and its smash hit, "O.P.P.," these New Jersey hip-hop champions have another sure-fire winner in NATURE'S FURY. Like NBN's previous releases, which tread the ground between hardcore rap and an accessible pop sensibility, what NATURE'S FURY achieves in terms of range, versatility, and synthesis of styles is impressive. From the radio-friendly bounce of "Holiday," through the speaker-rattling rock/rap marriage of "Radio" and such smooth and smoochy grooves as "Would've Done The Same For Me," NBN seem to achieve the impossible by making commercial music with genuine street credibility. That the hybrid is so successful is due in no small part to the considerable talents of rappers and lyricists Vinnie and Treach (whose rapid-fire, tongue-twisting raps can rival any MC on the scene) and the distinctive DJ magic of Kaygee. Studded with cameos (including Phiness, Zhane, Coffee Brown, and Big Punisher), this disc seems to achieve it all-rump-shakin' anthems, tales of ghetto life, fat beats, slick R&B-flavored pop, and rhymes to make your head spin-while wrapping the package together with punch and finesse. Longevity is a rare for hip-hop artists, since audiences place a priority on new sounds. It's difficult for veteran acts to continue to cultivate new sounds, and many have fallen by the wayside as they've tried to keep up with the times -- but not Naughty By Nature. They've never really changed their core sound, which is an alluring fusion of hardcore sentiments, pop hooks, and funky rhythms. But by not changing, they've managed to retain an audience, since they're reliable -- each Naughty By Nature record sounds essentially the same, but it's a satisfying sound that balances catchy hooks and clever, literate rhymes. Few artists are ever able to establish a track record like that, and it's amazing that Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury -- the group's fourth album and first for Arista Records -- maintains the high quality. True, some listeners may wish NBN tried out different sounds and styles, but for the most part, the album delivers what any fan of the group could want: several killer party jams, a couple of slow numbers, and a handful of amiable filler. Nothing stands out as an outright classic in the vein of "O.P.P." or "Hip Hop Hooray," but there's genuine grit to the rhythms and rhymes and the music remains accessible and catchy -- in short, the best of Nature's Fury proves that it's possible to be melodic and hardcore at the same time, to have both hooks and substance. It might not break new ground, but the album proves that Vinnie and Treach have developed their own signature sound and have found ways to keep it fresh and exciting nearly a decade into their career. [Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury was also released in a "clean" version, where all the obscenities and profanities have been electronically removed.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.94) - 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5) - "...With Treach's fleet-tongued poetry, Vin's straightforward boasts and KayGee's ballbearing-smooth production, NATURE'S FURY is as charged as an electrical storm." Spin (7/99, p.136) - 7 (out of 10) - "...Naughty's latest has the same backyard barbecue sound of their greatest hits..." Entertainment Weekly (4/30/99, p.96) - "...NBN flex mad versatility, mixing underground jams and rap-rock hybrids with surprising N'Awlins bounce...and party movers...that might make you forget `O.P.P.'....A display of furious styles worth the wait." - Rating: A- Q (11/00, p.129) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A pure party hip hop album..." Q (7/99, p.121) - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...they start as if from scratch, spitting out hardcore...before relaxing into more familiar themes....basic strengths see them home." CMJ (5/10/99, p.24) - "...Naughty By Nature is making its return to the hip-hop fold...[This]cameo-studded comeback tacks gritty, dirt-floor quickness onto ear-freindly accessibility....Treach, Vinnie and Kay-Gee keep it faithful to their NJ roots." Melody Maker (5/15/99, p.38) - 2 1/2 stars (out of 5) - "...there are moments which are jump-around-the-room-and-fall-over-fantastic..." NME (Magazine) (5/29/99, p.38) - 7 out of 10 - "...the traditional Naughty by Nature knack for anthemic tunes is still in evidence, as the groovy, sun-kissed 'Holiday' attests. But the protest politics that drove their last effort have been made more subtle..."

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