Naughty by Nature fans will have to keep replaying the group’s old albums because there is no chance that new music or a tour will take place in the near future.
The trio became a staple in the ’90s rap scene when their single “O.P.P.” became a mass hit in 1991. But in past years, the success shared between Vin Rock, Anthony “Treach” Criss, and DJ Kay Gee has proven futile when it comes to inner turmoil.
So much so that Rock recently sat down with journalist Touré for his podcast, the “Touré Show,” and discussed some of the tension that has made returning to the road seem like a pipe dream.
The emcee recalled one of the biggest blowouts that took place well over a decade ago during a meeting with the group’s manager. Rock said they were attempting to work out the details of an offer to perform in Australia when Treach encountered a snag with his passport that stemmed from past child support issues.
According to the U.S. Department of State, “If you owe $2,500 or more in child support, you are not eligible to receive a U.S. passport.”
Rock explained, “What we did is we agreed to pay the money in advance, and then when we get home just understand that that advance gets recouped. That’s what happened. We get back home from Australia, we do the breakdown [of funds], all of a sudden there’s amnesia.”
“At this time I believe, you know, Treach, that’s my brother, he was going through a lot back then and it was really disrupting the business internally,” he stated. “Kay was stressed out, Rebecca [manager] stressed out, we’re like, ‘Ugh, God we just can’t seem to make this guy happy.’
He continued, “And I think at that point, in the office, when we were going through that, I was like, ‘Man, I’ve had enough of this s—t. You gon’ stop this s—t.’”
Rock admitted that he escalated the already heated situation when he punched Treach out of frustration during the 2011 occurrence. He said his longtime friend upped the ante when “He pulled a knife on me, and I ran in the bathroom. Like, I am not getting cut up here, yo.” After coming to blows, the two men did not speak to each other for two years. The New Jersey native explained that they still had several shows lined up during their fallout, which they handled by staying on their respective sides of the stage. Treach addressed the incident two years later, noting that they had not spoken since.
“Ever since that point, it’s been the back and forth, the back and forth, and the distance, even, I guess right now,” Rock told Toure. “So now, Treach is doing his thing, he’s doing ‘Growing Up Hip Hop,’ he’s doing the New Jack City play, he does his film projects, and Kay and I have the Illtown Sluggaz project that we’re doing, and we’re supporting Tommy Boy [Records].”
Naughty By Nature performed together at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards and Black Music Honors ceremony. The group attempted to come back together during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their inability to agree on how to split tour profits has made any sort of reunion impossible.
