Naughty by Nature // Anthem Inc

Naughty by Nature - Anthem Inc (Entertainment One)

I cannot count the number of times I have waved my arms aloft during a rendition of Naughty by Nature’s famous track ‘Hip Hop Hooray’ and their infamous number ‘O.P.P’. You know them, I know you do. But did you know that the Naughty by Nature bwoys have been going for 20 years? Holy hip hop. They’ve released a brilliant album called ‘Anthem Inc’ to celebrate all those years of large trouser, bouncy beats and fantastic rapping. It consists of the re-recorded absolute classics alongside some brand new tracks created in just the past year including some with other rap stars like Queen Latifah. Sure, some of the new stuff is pretty bad. A bit too party, party for me. But the older stuff is spot on, in a way you just don’t hear these days, with an infectious rhythm, which varies on each track so each is individual and each has something to say. Lyrically they are astute but not serious. I know they have fallen out of the music world for the last few years but for those of you who have never heard them but love hip hop, it’s definitely worth a listen. And for those of us who were only ever really aware of the 2 massive hits from early in their career (their self titled debut LP went platinum) then you should mine the depths of their talents via this great collection.