You can’t hear a party song without some “hey” and “ho” going on in the background. And you wouldn’t have ever heard that if it weren’t for Naughty by Nature. The New Jersey crew have been churning out party anthems for more than 20 years, so it makes sense that they would call their latest album, “Anthem Inc.” In addition to new cuts, the album, which came out in the fall, also includes re-recorded versions of hits like, “Hip Hop Hooray” and “O.P.P.” On Sunday night, on the second installment of “Yo! MTV Raps Classic Cuts,” hosted by Sway Calloway, they talk about their formative years. MCs Treach and Vin Rock spoke to Metro about the experience.
What are some of the things you talk about on the show?
Treach: Backstage, behind-the-scenes things you’ve never heard. You never knew how naughty.
Vin: We talk about “O.P.P.” on there and how much O.P.P. we’ve scooped up over the years.
“O.P.P.” is the ultimate looking-for-action song. When it blew up, did you really live like that?
Treach: Hey, I’ve got six kids, homey. It was a lot of O.P.P.-ing!
Vin: And the thing was back then, a lot of the girls used to chase us after the concerts. And we’d hear them, “Yo, where you at? We all know you’re down with O.P.P.!”
Let’s talk about the cultural significance of that song, like when Axl Rose wore an “O.P.P.” hat.
Vin: Yeah, in the “November Rain” video! I remember that too, and I always bring that up. That was one of my favorite “O.P.P.” moments.
What’s another one?
Treach: Probably when Ed Lover and Todd 1 did “Down with MTV.” … We met the great Michael Jackson before he passed, and had a chance to do a video with him and everything, and he said he loved the song. So for us, that was the biggest props that we could get on “O.P.P.” [which sampled the Jackson 5 song, “ABC.”]
And then there’s a much more recent variation of the song.
Vin: Yeah, we’ve got a guy in New York named Josh Hyman. He took our song and flipped it, so it’s “Down with J.P.P.” who is a defensive player for the New York Giants, who just won the Super Bowl. So the Giants embraced the song, and every time Jason Pierre-Paul makes great plays, they play the “O.P.P” instrumental. And they invited us to come out and perform for the Super Bowl party.
Yeah, that whole thing is a little bit of a sore spot for me, because I’m from Boston.
Both: Awwwwww.
Yeah, but it was nice to hear that each time he made a great play, which unfortunately, was often.
Vin: That’s all right. We’re still brothers in the New England area.
Treach: And just know that we were in the studio the other night doing a little project with Donnie from New Kids on the Block, so we’ve still got love for the Bean.
Are you guys family men now, or are you still down with O.P.P.?
Treach: Family men. Ever since day one.
So wait, you weren’t always down with O.P.P.?
Treach: There’s been little hiatuses. [Laughs]
