For this bonus episode of One Track Mind's inaugural season, The A.V Club headed to The Bell House in Brooklyn for a cozy little sit-down with the biggest-selling act to grace our new series: Naughty By Nature, performers of the 1991 hip-hop smash "O.P.P."
Hype man Vinnie was the first to arrive. He kept a low profile, napping in a chair while the crew set up. Resplendent in shades and a leather jacket, frontman Treach made a much more flamboyant arrival while resident beatsmith Kay Gee completed the trio. New York Giants super-fan Treach was keen to discuss the day’s NFL action (and his favorite strip clubs in which to catch football games), but he was all business the moment Kay Gee dialed up the opening strains of his group’s biggest hit.
Treach, Kay Gee, and Vinnie took us back to the heady days of the early 1990s, when they inspired a Justin Bieber-like frenzies everywhere they went, and MTV fell so hard for “O.P.P.” that they went ahead and recorded their own tribute/homage, “Down Wit MTV,” a clip that doubled as free advertising for a song and music video that didn’t exactly need any additional help.
These three guys have performed “O.P.P.” thousands of times all over the world, yet like the consummate professionals they are, they threw themselves into this gig with the ferocity and hunger of the young performers they once were. Two decades after “O.P.P.” made Naughty By Nature stars, they're comfortable with its part in their history, though still looking forward. Their new album, Anthem Inc. features both new tracks and reworkings of the hits—including, of course, "O.P.P."