Naughty By Nature fans will be getting a blast from the past, as Tommy Boy Records will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of 19 Naughty III with new digital, vinyl, CD, and cassette editions of the album.
Slated for release on Feb. 24, the new edition will include six bonus tracks, including the previously unavailable Extended Mix of “Hip Hop Hooray” and additional remixes from producers Pete Rock and The Beatnuts.
Upon its initial release, 19 Naughty III was a massive critical and commercial success, helping stamp Naughty By Nature as one of the most popular group’s in all of Hip-Hop. Led by the chart-topping single “Hip Hop Hooray,” the album yielded the New Jersey-bred trio their second consecutive platinum plaque and capitalized on the momentum set by their previous, self-titled 1991 effort.
Produced by KayGee, with additional production from S.I.D. Reynolds, 19 Naughty III included the additional hits “It’s On” and “Written on Ya Kitten,” as well as features from Heavy D, Queen Latifah, Freddie Foxxx and Rottin Razkals.
Peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Hip Hop Hooray” was hailed as an instant cultural anthem and was accompanied by an epic music video directed by Spike Lee. The cameos in the clip were endless and include Monie Love, Run DMC, Eazy-E, and Kris Kross, as well as “Sleepin’ on Jersey” collaborator Queen Latifah.
Cultural commentator and The Roots member Questlove once summed up the group’s impact on the genre at the height of their reign, noting their ability to balance authenticity with commercial aspirations.
“Naughty by Nature was a rarity in hip-hop: an urban pop act that held respect and dignity in the Nineties,” the Academy Award winner told Rolling Stone. To go platinum in hip-hop, you were either diluted for mass consumption, or an overdone cartoon image of gangsterism that was temporary. Naughty By Nature chose the equivalent of shooting three-pointers from half-court: pop classics.”