The Beatnuts
Encyclopedia
The Beatnuts are a New York
-based hip hop
group and production duo from Queens
, New York City
. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 4, 1968) is Dominican American
from Corona
and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez on April 10, 1972) is a Colombian American
from Jackson Heights
. The Beatnuts are the only Latino
members of the Native Tongues
collective. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip
. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Kool Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. The Mighty V.I.C. (Groove Merchantz, Ghetto Pros) was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
, New York
. Psycho Les started producing beats and DJing at age 15 under aliases including DJ Les Jams and DJ Incredible. At a high school in Flushing, Queens
, a friend DJ Loco Moe introduced Les to fellow producer JuJu. While crate digging, both Beatnuts ran into hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa
. Bambaataa introduced them to Native Tongues
members including De La Soul
, A Tribe Called Quest
and the Jungle Brothers
. At this time, JuJu and Psycho Les were DJing parties under the alias Beat Kings. The Jungle Brothers claimed that they were not kings, but rather two nuts for their comical nature and the fact that they were crazy enough to carry hundreds of records to every show they played. They thus changed their name and "it stuck." The two Beatnuts members later met up with rapper Kool Fashion.
group Stereo MCs
. Over the next two years, they produced songs for rappers including Common
, Pete Nice
and DJ Richie Rich
and Kurious, as well as a full album for Chi-Ali. As of 1992, JuJu had not appeared on a record, but fellow Beatnuts rappers Fashion and Psycho Les appeared on tracks that he produced. In 1993, The Beatnuts produced more songs for the artists they had previously collaborated with as well as Fat Joe
, Suprême NTM
and Da Youngsta's
. At the same time, The Beatnuts made their name as remix
specialists by remixing songs for MC Lyte
, Da Lench Mob
, Naughty by Nature
, Jomanda
and others.
in 1992. The Beatnuts planned on releasing a "mini-LP" through that label, but its release was delayed when Kool Fashion was sentenced to six months of jail for drug convictions (p. 31). After Fashion completed his sentence, The Beatnuts left Combat Records and signed deals with Violator Management and Relativity Records
. On April 6, 1993, The Beatnuts released their debut album, Intoxicated Demons: The EP
, through their new label. It featured 11 songs, including the two singles "Reign of the Tec
" and "No Equal
". The album was characterized by its hedonistic
party-style lyrics and sample-heavy jazz beats. It was a critical success receiving favorable reviews by Allmusic, The Source
and Entertainment Weekly
.
Intoxicated Demons was followed in 1994 with the eponymous full length album The Beatnuts: Street Level
. Street Level followed its preceding EP in style, but slightly surpassed its commercial success by charting on the Billboard 200
. It featured two singles, "Props Over Here
" and "Hit Me with That
", neither of which were commercial hits. Street Level was the last Beatnuts album released before Fashion left the group to become a devout Muslim
and solo artist under the alias Al' Tariq. He left The Beatnuts on good terms and collaborated with his former group on future albums.
in 1997. Although it contained "Off the Books
", a single that charted on the Billboard Hot 100
and featured the first on-record performance by Big Pun
, the album was not a critical success. Leo Stanley of Allmusic attributed its mediocre reception to its lack of energy—not its "jazz-inflected rhythms and hardcore rhyming". Chris Ryan of Rolling Stone
conceded that the album was still "something of a breakthrough" for The Beatnuts in spite of itself. Two weeks after the release of Stone Crazy, The Beatnuts released Hydra Beats, Vol. 5
, a small-scale instrumental album. Vol. 5 was one album in a series of vinyl instrumental albums released by underground
label Hydra Entertainment
.
1998 saw the release of The Spot
, a remix EP that revamped songs from the first three non-instrumental Beatnuts albums. It additionally featured sequels to older Beatnuts tracks and one new song, "Treat$". It was released in anticipation of 1999's A Musical Massacre
, The Beatnuts' most commercially and critically successful album. A Musical Massacre reached #35 on the Billboard 200
due to its hit single "Watch Out Now
". The album is hailed for its "eclectic" and "textured" beats as well as its "rough, rugged, and raunchy" lyrics with slightly more content variation than past releases.
After Sony released The Beatnuts's first hits compilation, 1999's World Famous Classics
, The Beatnuts did not record another album until 2001's Take It or Squeeze It
. Their 2001 album contained two slightly popular singles, "No Escapin' This
" and "Let's Git Doe
", but was unable to match the commercial or critical success of A Musical Massacre. Reviews by both Allmusic and Rolling Stone claimed that Take It or Squeeze It had a mix of inventive production and clichéd gangster rhymes.
In November 2001, it was announced that Loud Records
—whose father label Relativity Records
had released all Beatnuts albums since their 1993 debut—had cut ties with The Beatnuts. The decision was followed by the release of two greatest hits: 2001's Beatnuts Forever
and 2002's Classic Nuts, Vol. 1
. While The Beatnuts were free agents, a rumor surfaced that JuJu and Psycho Les were going to collaborate with Al' Tariq under the group alias 'Intoxicated Demons'. The Beatnuts did not reunite with Al Tariq, but instead signed with the underground
label LandSpeed Records. In 2002, they released The Originators
, a commercial failure that did not reach the Billboard 200
or contain charting singles. The album was still a critical success because of its catchy hooks and creative beats. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com remarked on the correlation between The Beatnuts' critical and commercial success:
Instead of remaining on LandSpeed Records, The Beatnuts signed to Penalty Recordings before releasing their 2004 album Milk Me
. Although Penalty was also an underground label, Milk Me was still able to scrape the bottom of the Billboard 200
. The album was almost unanimously held to be solid. Nonetheless, three singles and an Akon
guest appearance did not propel the album to the commercial success of prior Beatnuts albums.
ed Jennifer Lopez
for essentially stealing the beat from The Beatnuts' "Watch Out Now" on her 2002 hit "Jenny from the Block
". The song criticizes Lopez's singing ability and looks, but ultimately criticizes the track's producers, Trackmasters
and Cory Rooney
, for stealing the beat. Although The Beatnuts did eventually receive royalties
, Psycho Les is still critical of the track's producers. The beats on both "Watch Out Now" and "Jenny from the Block" sample the Enoch Light
cover of "Hi-Jack" by Fernando Arbex of the Spanish group Barrabas
(History of Hijack). Barrabas
created the original drum and bass lines, with the flute transposition of the melodic loop (the famous sample in the Beatnuts and Jennifer Lopez tracks) introduced in the Herbie Mann
and Enoch Light
covers.
on Pit Fight Records. Psycho Les additionally joined with Al Tariq and Problemz to form the group Big City. In June, they released The City Never Sleeps on Nature Sounds
.
Later that year, The Beatnuts had a track included on the Official Joints mixtape, a collection of previously unreleased songs by NYC rappers.
In December, JuJu was arrested in Stockholm
, Sweden
for an alleged assault. He was detained for 36 hours for a "minor assault" after performing a concert.
On September 30, 2008, Pit Fight Records released U.F.O. Files, a compilation of previously unreleased Beatnuts songs.
July 24, 2009, The Beatnuts performed with Slick Rick
and Rahzel
at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. Presented by Global Market Productions the show included all elements of hip hop: beat boxing, break dancing, DJ'ing, MC battles and graffiti art.
In October 2009, Deez Nuts, a semi-autobiographical theatre production conceived by Sacha Jenkins and starring The Beatnuts ran for 3 nights at the Ohio Theatre as part of the New York Hip-Hop Theater Festival.
and funk
-influenced sound, but later songs were influenced by Latin music
. Critics have commented that The Beatnuts have consistently good beats, but lack in terms of lyrics. JuJu addressed this in a 2004 interview:
Their production
is noted as some of the most accomplished, if unheralded, in all of hip hop, often intricately detailed (as in their finely honed work for Mos Def
on two tracks from Black on Both Sides
) but more regularly barnstorming, club-friendly, flourish-laden party music.
The Beatnuts are noted for being unabashedly, bullishly ribald and in-your-face performers. Recent Beatnuts albums are characterized by more Latin
influences.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group and production duo from Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 4, 1968) is Dominican American
Dominican American
A Dominican American is any American who has origins in the Dominican Republic.Immigration records of Dominicans in the United States date from the late 19th century, and New York City has had a Dominican community since the 1930s...
from Corona
Corona, Queens
Corona is a densely-populated neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States...
and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez on April 10, 1972) is a Colombian American
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
from Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
. The Beatnuts are the only Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
members of the Native Tongues
Native tongues
Native Tongues is a book by the linguist Charles Berlitz.It is a list of words in different languages, etymology and questions with speculations far and wide about words....
collective. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Kool Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. The Mighty V.I.C. (Groove Merchantz, Ghetto Pros) was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
Origins
JuJu and Psycho Les grew up in different communities in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Psycho Les started producing beats and DJing at age 15 under aliases including DJ Les Jams and DJ Incredible. At a high school in Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
, a friend DJ Loco Moe introduced Les to fellow producer JuJu. While crate digging, both Beatnuts ran into hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
. Bambaataa introduced them to Native Tongues
Native tongues
Native Tongues is a book by the linguist Charles Berlitz.It is a list of words in different languages, etymology and questions with speculations far and wide about words....
members including De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
and the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
. At this time, JuJu and Psycho Les were DJing parties under the alias Beat Kings. The Jungle Brothers claimed that they were not kings, but rather two nuts for their comical nature and the fact that they were crazy enough to carry hundreds of records to every show they played. They thus changed their name and "it stuck." The two Beatnuts members later met up with rapper Kool Fashion.
Early production work
The Beatnuts entered the recording industry in 1990 producing two tracks for the electronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
group Stereo MCs
Stereo MCs
Stereo MCs are an English electronic dance group, which formed in Clapham, London in 1985. They are best known worldwide for their 1992 transatlantic Top 20 hit single, "Connected"...
. Over the next two years, they produced songs for rappers including Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, Pete Nice
Pete Nice
Prime Minister Pete Nice is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.-Career:...
and DJ Richie Rich
DJ Richie Rich
DJ Richie Rich , is a former record producer and turntablist who was best known as a member of the New York-based rap trio 3rd Bass. He was also known as Daddy Rich. He was part of The "Supermen" DJ crew which also included other top DJs such as Scratch, Clark Kent, Miz, Supreme, and Alladin...
and Kurious, as well as a full album for Chi-Ali. As of 1992, JuJu had not appeared on a record, but fellow Beatnuts rappers Fashion and Psycho Les appeared on tracks that he produced. In 1993, The Beatnuts produced more songs for the artists they had previously collaborated with as well as Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, Suprême NTM
Suprême NTM
Suprême NTM is a French hip hop group formed in 1989 in the Seine-Saint-Denis département. The group comprises rappers Joey Starr and Kool Shen...
and Da Youngsta's
Da Youngsta's
Da Youngstas were a hip-hop trio that consisted of two brothers, Taji "Taj Mahal" Goodman and Qu'ran Goodman, and their cousin Tarik Dawson, hailing from Philadelphia....
. At the same time, The Beatnuts made their name as remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
specialists by remixing songs for MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Da Lench Mob
Da Lench Mob
Da Lench Mob was a West Coast hip hop group associated with Ice Cube. The group consisted of rappers J-Dee, Shorty, T-Bone and Maulkie.-History:The group made its debut on Ice Cube's first solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted...
, Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature
Naughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
, Jomanda
Jomanda (group)
Jomanda was an American female R&B/house vocal trio from New Jersey. Members included Joanne Thomas, Cheri Williams and Renee Washington. They had several hits on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart during the first half of the 1990s, including "Got a Love for You," which reached #1 in 1991...
and others.
Debut albums
The Beatnuts' early production work earned them a record deal with Combat RecordsCombat Records
Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and...
in 1992. The Beatnuts planned on releasing a "mini-LP" through that label, but its release was delayed when Kool Fashion was sentenced to six months of jail for drug convictions (p. 31). After Fashion completed his sentence, The Beatnuts left Combat Records and signed deals with Violator Management and Relativity Records
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...
. On April 6, 1993, The Beatnuts released their debut album, Intoxicated Demons: The EP
Intoxicated Demons: The EP
Intoxicated Demons: The EP is the debut album by the hip hop trio The Beatnuts. It was released on April 6, 1993 by Relativity Records. It is the first of two EP's released by the group. All of its songs are produced by The Beatnuts...
, through their new label. It featured 11 songs, including the two singles "Reign of the Tec
Reign of the Tec
"Reign of the Tec" is the debut single by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records on May 6, 1993 before being placed on The Beatnuts' debut EP Intoxicated Demons: The EP. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju and Psycho Les. It contains...
" and "No Equal
No Equal
"No Equal" is the second single by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records as a single before being placed on The Beatnuts' debut EP Intoxicated Demons: The EP. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju, Psycho Les and Fashion...
". The album was characterized by its hedonistic
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
party-style lyrics and sample-heavy jazz beats. It was a critical success receiving favorable reviews by Allmusic, The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
Intoxicated Demons was followed in 1994 with the eponymous full length album The Beatnuts: Street Level
The Beatnuts: Street Level
The Beatnuts: Street Level is the full-length debut album by hip hop trio The Beatnuts. It was released on June 21, 1994 by Relativity Records just a year after their debut EP, Intoxicated Demons. "Psycho Dwarf" is the only song found on both the EP and the album. The album is produced by The...
. Street Level followed its preceding EP in style, but slightly surpassed its commercial success by charting on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It featured two singles, "Props Over Here
Props Over Here
"Props Over Here" is the first single from The Beatnuts: Street Level, a 1994 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records as a single with "Yeah You Get Props" as its b-side in 1994. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju, Psycho Les...
" and "Hit Me with That
Hit Me with That
"Hit Me with That" is the second single from The Beatnuts: Street Level, a 1994 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records as a single with "Get Funky" as its b-side in 1994. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju, Psycho Les and...
", neither of which were commercial hits. Street Level was the last Beatnuts album released before Fashion left the group to become a devout Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and solo artist under the alias Al' Tariq. He left The Beatnuts on good terms and collaborated with his former group on future albums.
Commercial breakthroughs
The Beatnuts did not follow up their 1994 album until releasing Stone CrazyStone Crazy
Stone Crazy is the second full-length album by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released on June 24, 1997 by Relativity Records and Epic Records in later pressings. It is the first album released by The Beatnuts after rapper Kool Fashion left the group to pursue a solo career...
in 1997. Although it contained "Off the Books
Off the Books
"Off the Books" is the third single from Stone Crazy, a 1997 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records in both 12 inch and CD format in 1997. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju and Psycho Les, as well as the first on-record...
", a single that charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and featured the first on-record performance by Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
, the album was not a critical success. Leo Stanley of Allmusic attributed its mediocre reception to its lack of energy—not its "jazz-inflected rhythms and hardcore rhyming". Chris Ryan of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
conceded that the album was still "something of a breakthrough" for The Beatnuts in spite of itself. Two weeks after the release of Stone Crazy, The Beatnuts released Hydra Beats, Vol. 5
Hydra Beats, Vol. 5
Hydra Beats, Vol. 5 is an instrumental album by hip hop group and production duo The Beatnuts. It was released on July 7, 1997 by Hydra Entertainment. It is the fifth of 14 instrumental vinyl albums released by Hydra Entertainment. It contains 12 songs, all produced by The Beatnuts...
, a small-scale instrumental album. Vol. 5 was one album in a series of vinyl instrumental albums released by underground
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
label Hydra Entertainment
Hydra Entertainment
Hydra Entertainment is a hip hop record label specializing in Instrumental hip hop. They are most notable for their Hydra Beats series of instrumental albums by prominent hip hop producers...
.
1998 saw the release of The Spot
Remix EP: The Spot
Remix EP: The Spot is a 1998 EP by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released on February 10, 1998 by Relativity Records. As its full title suggests, The Spot is composed mainly of remixes: it also has three sequel songs and one new recording, "Treat$". The sequels features new vocals over the...
, a remix EP that revamped songs from the first three non-instrumental Beatnuts albums. It additionally featured sequels to older Beatnuts tracks and one new song, "Treat$". It was released in anticipation of 1999's A Musical Massacre
A Musical Massacre
A Musical Massacre is a 1999 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records during a merger with Relativity Records. It is The Beatnuts' most critically and commercially successful album. It reached #35 on the Billboard 200 and was hailed as one of "1999's most entertaining...
, The Beatnuts' most commercially and critically successful album. A Musical Massacre reached #35 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
due to its hit single "Watch Out Now
Watch Out Now
"Watch Out Now" is the first single from A Musical Massacre, a 1999 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records in 1999 in both 12 inch and CD format. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features materialistic raps by Juju and Psycho Les, as well as a...
". The album is hailed for its "eclectic" and "textured" beats as well as its "rough, rugged, and raunchy" lyrics with slightly more content variation than past releases.
After Sony released The Beatnuts's first hits compilation, 1999's World Famous Classics
World Famous Classics
World Famous Classics: 1993-1998 is the first of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Sony BMG in 1999 two weeks after the release of The Beatnuts' most commercially successful album, A Musical Massacre. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first three...
, The Beatnuts did not record another album until 2001's Take It or Squeeze It
Take It or Squeeze It
Take It or Squeeze It is a 2001 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It was the first Beatnuts album released after Loud Records finished their merger with Relativity Records. It was critically well-received, but lacked commercial success. Reviews by Rolling Stone and Allmusic noted its enjoyable...
. Their 2001 album contained two slightly popular singles, "No Escapin' This
No Escapin' This
"No Escapin' This" is the first single from Take It or Squeeze It, a 2001 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records in 2001 in both 12 inch and CD format. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features braggadocious raps by Juju and Psycho Les, as well as ad...
" and "Let's Git Doe
Let's Git Doe
"Let's Git Doe" is the second single from Take It or Squeeze It, a 2001 album by East Coast hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records in 2001 as a 12 inch with "Yo Yo Yo" as its b-side. The song is produced by The Beatnuts and features raps by Juju and Psycho Les, as well as a...
", but was unable to match the commercial or critical success of A Musical Massacre. Reviews by both Allmusic and Rolling Stone claimed that Take It or Squeeze It had a mix of inventive production and clichéd gangster rhymes.
Return to underground
Loud Records
Loud Records is a subsidiary of SRC Records founded by Steve Rifkind in 1992.Loud was a hip hop label which has released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit,...
—whose father label Relativity Records
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...
had released all Beatnuts albums since their 1993 debut—had cut ties with The Beatnuts. The decision was followed by the release of two greatest hits: 2001's Beatnuts Forever
Beatnuts Forever
Beatnuts Forever is the second of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records in 2001 shortly after the release of Take It or Squeeze It. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first four albums, as well as its two EP's. It most heavily borrows from...
and 2002's Classic Nuts, Vol. 1
Classic Nuts, Vol. 1
Classic Nuts, Vol. 1 is the last of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records during its merger with Relativity on February 19, 2002. Released prior to The Originators, another 2002 Beatnuts album, it only contains songs from The Beatnuts' first four...
. While The Beatnuts were free agents, a rumor surfaced that JuJu and Psycho Les were going to collaborate with Al' Tariq under the group alias 'Intoxicated Demons'. The Beatnuts did not reunite with Al Tariq, but instead signed with the underground
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
label LandSpeed Records. In 2002, they released The Originators
The Originators (album)
The Originators is a 2002 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It is the first Beatnuts album released by Landspeed Records. Likely because of its indie record label, it failed to reach the Billboard 200 like The Beatnuts' prior four full-length albums, but managed to appear on the Independent Albums...
, a commercial failure that did not reach the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
or contain charting singles. The album was still a critical success because of its catchy hooks and creative beats. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com remarked on the correlation between The Beatnuts' critical and commercial success:
If they are less known and don't sell as well being on an indie imprint like LandSpeed Records, it will still be worth it if the increased quality of their beats and rhymes remain this high.
Instead of remaining on LandSpeed Records, The Beatnuts signed to Penalty Recordings before releasing their 2004 album Milk Me
Milk Me
Milk Me is a 2004 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It is the one and only Beatnuts album released by Penalty Recordings. It was critically received as a solid effort, but barely scraped the Billboard 200. In addition, none of its three singles were able to chart...
. Although Penalty was also an underground label, Milk Me was still able to scrape the bottom of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album was almost unanimously held to be solid. Nonetheless, three singles and an Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
guest appearance did not propel the album to the commercial success of prior Beatnuts albums.
"Watch Out Now" controversy
Milk Me contained the song "Confused Rappers", a track that dissDiss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
ed Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
for essentially stealing the beat from The Beatnuts' "Watch Out Now" on her 2002 hit "Jenny from the Block
Jenny from the Block
"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rappers Styles P and Jadakiss. Written by Lopez, Troy Oliver, Mr. Deyo, Samuel Barnes, and Jean-Claude Olivier and produced by Cory Rooney, Oliver, and Poke & Tone, it was released to radio in late September 2002...
". The song criticizes Lopez's singing ability and looks, but ultimately criticizes the track's producers, Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
and Cory Rooney
Cory Rooney
Cory Rooney is an American songwriter, record producer, and C.E.O. of Cory Rooney Group. He has written, produced, and developed many hits and careers for artists such as Mariah Carey, Mary J...
, for stealing the beat. Although The Beatnuts did eventually receive royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
, Psycho Les is still critical of the track's producers. The beats on both "Watch Out Now" and "Jenny from the Block" sample the Enoch Light
Enoch Light
Enoch Henry Light was a classical violinist, bandleader, and recording engineer. As A&R chief and vice-president of Grand Award Records, he founded Command Records in 1959. Light's name was prominent on many albums both as musician and producer...
cover of "Hi-Jack" by Fernando Arbex of the Spanish group Barrabas
Barrabás
Barrabás are a Spanish musical group, most successful in the 1970s and 1980s, when they were led by drummer Fernando Arbex. The group's musical style was initially Latin rock with jazz and funk influences, and later developed into a more disco-orientated sound.-History:Arbex formed Barrabás in 1971...
(History of Hijack). Barrabas
Barrabás
Barrabás are a Spanish musical group, most successful in the 1970s and 1980s, when they were led by drummer Fernando Arbex. The group's musical style was initially Latin rock with jazz and funk influences, and later developed into a more disco-orientated sound.-History:Arbex formed Barrabás in 1971...
created the original drum and bass lines, with the flute transposition of the melodic loop (the famous sample in the Beatnuts and Jennifer Lopez tracks) introduced in the Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
and Enoch Light
Enoch Light
Enoch Henry Light was a classical violinist, bandleader, and recording engineer. As A&R chief and vice-president of Grand Award Records, he founded Command Records in 1959. Light's name was prominent on many albums both as musician and producer...
covers.
Recent endeavors
In March 2007, Psycho Les released his debut solo album Psycho Therapy (The Soundtrack)Psycho Therapy (The Soundtrack)
Psycho Therapy is the debut solo album by The Beatnuts member Psycho Les. This album consists of 18 tracks with Psycho Les on the microphone as well as the boards with features from the DJ Honda, Triple Seis, and Black Attack...
on Pit Fight Records. Psycho Les additionally joined with Al Tariq and Problemz to form the group Big City. In June, they released The City Never Sleeps on Nature Sounds
Nature Sounds
Nature Sounds is a record label based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in hip hop and reggae music.-Discography:*Ayatollah - Fingertips *Ayatollah - Live From The MPC 60 *Ayatollah - Cocoon...
.
Later that year, The Beatnuts had a track included on the Official Joints mixtape, a collection of previously unreleased songs by NYC rappers.
In December, JuJu was arrested in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for an alleged assault. He was detained for 36 hours for a "minor assault" after performing a concert.
On September 30, 2008, Pit Fight Records released U.F.O. Files, a compilation of previously unreleased Beatnuts songs.
July 24, 2009, The Beatnuts performed with Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
and Rahzel
Rahzel
Rahzel M. Brown, also known as simply Rahzel, is an American musician and virtuoso beatboxer, formerly a member of The Roots.Nicknamed the "Godfather of Noyze," Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and his...
at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon. Presented by Global Market Productions the show included all elements of hip hop: beat boxing, break dancing, DJ'ing, MC battles and graffiti art.
In October 2009, Deez Nuts, a semi-autobiographical theatre production conceived by Sacha Jenkins and starring The Beatnuts ran for 3 nights at the Ohio Theatre as part of the New York Hip-Hop Theater Festival.
Style
The Beatnuts are known for their sample-heavy beats and explicit party-ready lyrics. In early records, the beats had a jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-influenced sound, but later songs were influenced by Latin music
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
. Critics have commented that The Beatnuts have consistently good beats, but lack in terms of lyrics. JuJu addressed this in a 2004 interview:
Their production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
is noted as some of the most accomplished, if unheralded, in all of hip hop, often intricately detailed (as in their finely honed work for Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
on two tracks from Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides
Black on Both Sides is the debut solo album of American rapper Mos Def, released October 12, 1999 on Rawkus Records. Prior to the album's recording, Mos Def had collaborated with rapper Talib Kweli for the duo's studio album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star , which raised high expectations for...
) but more regularly barnstorming, club-friendly, flourish-laden party music.
The Beatnuts are noted for being unabashedly, bullishly ribald and in-your-face performers. Recent Beatnuts albums are characterized by more Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
influences.
Discography
- Intoxicated Demons: The EPIntoxicated Demons: The EPIntoxicated Demons: The EP is the debut album by the hip hop trio The Beatnuts. It was released on April 6, 1993 by Relativity Records. It is the first of two EP's released by the group. All of its songs are produced by The Beatnuts...
(1993), Relativity/Violator - The Beatnuts: Street LevelThe Beatnuts: Street LevelThe Beatnuts: Street Level is the full-length debut album by hip hop trio The Beatnuts. It was released on June 21, 1994 by Relativity Records just a year after their debut EP, Intoxicated Demons. "Psycho Dwarf" is the only song found on both the EP and the album. The album is produced by The...
(1994), Relativity/Violator - Stone CrazyStone CrazyStone Crazy is the second full-length album by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released on June 24, 1997 by Relativity Records and Epic Records in later pressings. It is the first album released by The Beatnuts after rapper Kool Fashion left the group to pursue a solo career...
(1997), Relativity/Violator/Epic/Sony - Hydra Beats, Vol. 5Hydra Beats, Vol. 5Hydra Beats, Vol. 5 is an instrumental album by hip hop group and production duo The Beatnuts. It was released on July 7, 1997 by Hydra Entertainment. It is the fifth of 14 instrumental vinyl albums released by Hydra Entertainment. It contains 12 songs, all produced by The Beatnuts...
(1997), Hydra - Remix EP: The SpotRemix EP: The SpotRemix EP: The Spot is a 1998 EP by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released on February 10, 1998 by Relativity Records. As its full title suggests, The Spot is composed mainly of remixes: it also has three sequel songs and one new recording, "Treat$". The sequels features new vocals over the...
(1998), Relativity/Violator/Epic/Sony - A Musical MassacreA Musical MassacreA Musical Massacre is a 1999 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records during a merger with Relativity Records. It is The Beatnuts' most critically and commercially successful album. It reached #35 on the Billboard 200 and was hailed as one of "1999's most entertaining...
(1999), Loud/Sony - World Famous ClassicsWorld Famous ClassicsWorld Famous Classics: 1993-1998 is the first of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Sony BMG in 1999 two weeks after the release of The Beatnuts' most commercially successful album, A Musical Massacre. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first three...
(1999), Sony - Take It or Squeeze ItTake It or Squeeze ItTake It or Squeeze It is a 2001 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It was the first Beatnuts album released after Loud Records finished their merger with Relativity Records. It was critically well-received, but lacked commercial success. Reviews by Rolling Stone and Allmusic noted its enjoyable...
(2001), Loud/Epic/Sony - Beatnuts ForeverBeatnuts ForeverBeatnuts Forever is the second of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Relativity Records in 2001 shortly after the release of Take It or Squeeze It. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first four albums, as well as its two EP's. It most heavily borrows from...
(2001), Relativity - Classic Nuts, Vol. 1Classic Nuts, Vol. 1Classic Nuts, Vol. 1 is the last of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Loud Records during its merger with Relativity on February 19, 2002. Released prior to The Originators, another 2002 Beatnuts album, it only contains songs from The Beatnuts' first four...
(2002), Loud/Epic/Sony - The OriginatorsThe Originators (album)The Originators is a 2002 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It is the first Beatnuts album released by Landspeed Records. Likely because of its indie record label, it failed to reach the Billboard 200 like The Beatnuts' prior four full-length albums, but managed to appear on the Independent Albums...
(2002), Landspeed - Milk MeMilk MeMilk Me is a 2004 album by hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It is the one and only Beatnuts album released by Penalty Recordings. It was critically received as a solid effort, but barely scraped the Billboard 200. In addition, none of its three singles were able to chart...
(2004), Penalty - U.F.O. Files (2008), Pit Fight
- LikNuts with Tha AlkaholiksTha AlkaholiksTha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Since the early 1990s they have produced funky, upbeat, hedonism-themed party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift and the lively, comedic rhymes of...
(2011) - Planet of the Crates (2011)