Treach has a lot to get off his chest. The Brick City born boss typically doesn’t hold back, but it seems like he’s been biting his tongue for a long time on his issues with Vinnie, his friend and rap partner in Naughy By Nature. According to Treach, things have been “real f**kin’ shady” for a minute. Beef has been elusive for the crew hailing from East Orange, NJ, and they have all shared three equal parts (Vinnie/Treach/Kay Gee) of the brand during their 22 year professional career. Now, there is a huge gust of change. Treach speaks.
When you have like…you see the groups.. we never wanted to be the group that goes though anything that we can’t resolve on our own or anything else. Nobody – me being Treach, Kay (DJ/producer Kay Gee) and Vin being Vin – is larger than the group. We came on some ego free sh*t. Now, when somebody comes and gets larger than the group, its gonna be a problem. Now, we have certain members of the group – Kay Gee, Vin, Treach. Kay Gee – as far as the producing force behind Naughty By Nature – always put in. Treach – the writing force of Naughty By Nature – always put in. Like when you are a member of a clan that gives you a pass for life as far as…never wrote no records, [produce] no hits…n***a, [Vinnie] you went from break dancing to beat boxing. With the homies, you was gonna eat for life. If you see any of our albums, it says “written and produced by Naughty By Nature.” Because, homey you [Vinnie] was somebody that was over there beat boxing and break dancing and any lyrics you had anywhere was written for you. Don’t never get larger than the group. The producer and the writer of the group are always like “we, we, we” not “me, me, me.” Even if you don’t do sh*t, we gonna make sure you taken care of for the rest of your life.
How dare you ever play like you bigger than the group or you the owner? You the boss or you the shot caller. Or you anything else other than what the f**k you are, which is a n***a that needs to be enjoying the f**king ride. Don’t never question who I am, what I do, how I am. Don’t stay in ya lane – play ya position. Dogs, you can be hired help at any time. You never wrote one hit. You never produced one hit song. You [Vinnie] came on as a homey that was there…we threw your a lot of bones [work] just to keep you up in there ’cause you was the homey from the door who was up in there. And we always fit you in when there wasn’t a spot for you to be in. Nobody can never question myself or Kay Gee’s loyalty to our people [like Vinnie] that we put down that, at the end of the day, gave us their a$$ to kiss. You can never tell Kay Gee he’s not a member of Naughty. You can never tell Treach he’s not a member of Naughty. When you start to try to hire and fire mother f**kers, you will be put in your mother f**kin’ place.
When you doing side deals behind homies’ back and we find out about it, homey…Naughty will go on. You can be f**kin’ replaced, by just not having you there. I do my own gigs – hosting, performing, everything. There has never been a time when they asked where the f**k was Vin. Don’t never question nothing I do or play us out. Don’t never go on no side thing, don’t never let me find out about no deal behind my back that I gotta find out later, yo, ’cause I don’t work for nobody. I’m self employed. And if anything, me and Kay on the same level. Look at the last Naughty album. This dude [Vinnie] don’t even have a verse on it.
You know why you never heard Naughty By Nature going through sh*t? Me and Vin haven’t really spoke in like two years and to more than 100 shows a year-on the same stage. Wouldn’t nobody know it, because the business is one thing, personal is something else. But when sh*t is going behind people back and somebody is acting like they above people and other things are being set up that the groups doesn’t know about, it has to be stopped. Its been talked about like, “Homey, play your position. Don’t go too far, because sh*t will be exposed.” Nobody in Naughty never went out and spoke out about certain sh*t, but once, it goes on and sh*t done behind my back, and I have to let them know, I don’t know who’s been spoken to [in the name of business]. All the shows on the calendar, yeah, we are gonna do those shows. After the [contracted shows], its gonna be a wrap for Naughty By Nature as you’ve seen. Its gonna be a whole new set up, because ain’t nobody larger than the team. Nobody is larger than the squad.
If you had to judge somebody off their personal life, you wouldn’t be a fan of none of the mother f**kers you was a fan of. Like real talk. We in the music business, not the music personal. If ma’f**kers are over there dealing with him, that’s all good. I’m not looking at you like, “F**k you, I’m just saying.” Things don’t mix with us. So don’t be mad if you say, “Well, I’m doing this with him…” and wonder why I cut you off. Do the business you doing with him, I’m doing my own business over here. Our business don’t mix no more. Don’t be mad at me for where I’ve been or where I’m going, but where I’m at.
Its ugly and its been too ugly without no talking [with Vinnie]. You look for somebody to be bigger than that when you are being bigger than that. If I’m going to be the man I’ve been and somebody can’t be the man their supposed to be, I don’t have time for that. I need to be around positive vibes and people that are on the same level – ego free. Everybody got a common goal but working together. Ain’t nobody hating on nobody, stepping on them to get on top. Everybody working together. If that ain’t with the vibe from the people that’s around me, they get a grown man time out and they sit in the corner for a minute…real talk.
In the full audio, Treach goes deeper with the implications for Naughty going forward, including how he feels the group supported Vinnie, his positive contributions to the business side and how everybody played a part in the brand.