“Naughty By Nature: We’re On Par With McDonalds”

Growing up in East Orange, New Jersey, all that Vin Rock, DJ Kay Gee, and Treach wanted to do with their music was to build a better life for themselves and their families. No way would they have thought they would go on to form one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time: Naughty By Nature. Their 1991 single O.P.P. put them on the map, and winning the first ever Grammy for Best Rap Album with Poverty’s Paradise (1995) solidified their stature in the genre. Looking back after all these years, they deservedly have a sense of pride in what they have accomplished. “Although we didn’t realize it, we formed our own corporation as kids. It came from an honest place, we built an international brand as teenagers. So now that we’re this old, we realize just what we’ve done: We don’t have to punch a clock, or do a 9 to 5, and shit, we’re on par with McDonalds.”