Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
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The Los Angeles based Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E. are one of the early influential acts from the West Coast rap scene. Emerging from the same era of West Coast hip hop greats such as Cypress Hill and Ice Cube, the Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E. are one of the more underground legendary acts, but command much respect from the hip hop community and hardcore hip hop fans. They are known for incorporating heavy metal and Funk into their hip hop.
The T.R.I.B.E. (Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire) originally consisted of six Samoan American brothers from Los Angeles, California, including Paul "Ganxsta Ridd" Devoux, Ted "Godfather" Devoux, Danny "O.M.B." Devoux, Roscoe "Murder One" Devoux, David "E.K.A." Devoux, or Kobra, and Donald "Don L" Devoux. A seventh brother, Vincent "Gawtti" Devoux, would join later on.
One of the unique aspects of the group that sets them apart from most West Coast acts and hip hop groups is that the brothers can all play musical instruments, making them an interesting live act. They often insist on playing their own instruments on their albums as well as on stage. Introduced to music via the Baptist church, Gawtti, the youngest, explained, " Our father was a minister of a church and we had to learn instruments to play at his services. We’d go in the morning and set up the instruments and play a lot of funk before folk came in."
Despite their religious background, the brothers fell into the local west coast gang lifestyle. They became members of the Samoan Mob Piru Bloods, and eventually all of the brothers had at some point served prison time on drug and/or weapons charges. It was the death of their younger brother, Robert ‘Youngman’ Devoux, in a 1987 shooting that became the turning point in their lives. The brothers quit the gang-banging lifestyle cold turkey. Godfather explained, "The gangsta way of life came at a high price. At the time me and family was at war with different enemies and he got caught up in the cross fire……y’know, you gotta understand, you grow up in life with your brothers, and even though you’re in a war zone you don’t think about losing someone, and when it happens to you, you can do two things: you can get madder or you gotta run with it.” This changed all the brothers lives, Gawtti explained "It made us choose whether we wanted to go war or to music. We chose the music because that’s what he would have wanted."
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[edit] Starting Fresh in Japan
When Ganxsta Ridd was released from prison, the brothers decided to leave Los Angeles to escape the gang culture and head for Japan to live with their cousin, a sumo wrestler. Godfather explained “My second youngest brother Ridd had gone through junior prison and didn’t want to end up going through the whole system. One of my brothers had been to Japan before and told us that’d it would be a fresh start and good place to work and establish ourselves as musicians. It was kinda hard going to a place we’d never been and didn't know the language, but in the end we coped with it.”
Once in Japan, the brothers performed as a rapping and dancing group called the Blue City Crew. Godfather recalled, “When we first started performing at that club, only the cooks were there. Within a few weeks, people were coming from as far as Osaka and people couldn’t even get in. Everyone was trying to get a glimpse of us."
[edit] Returing to the U.S.
After establishing a name for themselves in Japan, the brothers decided it was time to return back to their home country and attempt to break into the U.S. hip hop community. Changing their name from the 'Blue City Crew' to 'Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E.", and picking up their youngest brother, Gawtti, the T.R.I.B.E. had to start anew once more. Gawtti explained, "Boo Yaa, at that time' was slang in the neighborhood for the sound of a shotgun, so we used the term to describe the impact of us on stage, blowing people away.”
The T.R.I.B.E. began recording and released the 12”, ‘Coming Hard To America’ in 1988. In 1989 the group signed to Island Records. "That made us more focused," explained Gawtti..."Island Records, that’s where Bob Marley came from, we we’re signed with a major label." Their 1989 debut album ‘New Funky Nation’ was recorded and sold over 100,000. The album was a pioneering West Coast sound, and it quickly became a masterpiece in hip hop circles. Godfather explained, “I think our first album was before its time. I think that when the album first came out people weren’t ready for it. What’s going on today in the music business we were doing it back then with the harmonies and stuff.” The T.R.I.B.E.'s popularity and fanbase continued to thrive when they made guest appearances on Cypress Hill's debut album in 1990 and a Club Nouveau track.
Unfortunately, the T.R.I.B.E's relationship with Island Records was cut short in 1992. “We came out of nowhere and made some noise”, Godfather, says proudly, "At the time they [Island] were the hottest management at the time. It’s like this, it ended up being cutthroat because of the business stuff. We didn’t know about the power of the attorney, and we ended up getting bills from record companies for money that was never seen!” Many artists disappear into the shadows after leaving a large label like Island, but the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. continued to thrive. Godfather: “It was a low point in our career but a learning point for us going out on our own. Finding out about the business...we ended up making our own company and then we went on to independents”
[edit] After Island
After leaving Island in 1992, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. recorded the unreleased ‘Good Times Bad Times’ which featured artists such as Ice Cube and George Clinton, and Living Colour. Unfortunately, the album was never released. That same year, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. toured on the '92 Lollapolooza. The T.R.I.B.E made a guest appearance on legendary MC Kid Frost's second album in 1992. In 1993, the T.R.I.B.E. first began to experiment with rock influences, and collaborated with Faith No More on the Judgement Night soundtrack. Signing with the smaller Bullet Proof label, the group issued two more albums, ‘Doomsday’ in 1994, and ‘Occupation Hazardous’ in 1995. The lead brothers also changed their aliases: Danny became Monsta O and Donald was Kobra Konvict (or just Kobra).
In 1997, the brothers formed their Samoan Mafia label, and they released a demo of ‘Angry Samoans’ – a blend of rap, funk, and heavy metal – a sound Godfather said they hope to work with more in the future.
The album ‘Mafia Lifestyle’ was released in 2000, featuring artists such as Layzie Bone, Yukmouth, and Naughty by Nature's Treach.
In 2003, the T.R.I.B.E. released ‘West Koasta Nostra’. The album brings together artists such as Eminem, Mack 10, WC, Kurupt, and Knoc-Turnal. "We’re hoping that people will accept it and feel the story that we’re portraying about the reality of life…” Gawtti continued to describe the sound of the 2003 album; "This album is more hip hop with different flavours in the mix of the music, this is young generation music, even though we’re old school. Battlecat was our producer he brings the flava’ of a new era. Just like with Eminem, he brought his style... if you hear Em’s track, you know the kids are gonna rock to it. Kids wanna hear this.”
Speaking further of Eminem's production contribution, Gawtti added, "It’s about respect. Eminem, he’s real. He likes real people. He’d never work with a guy unless they’re safe. He's seen it in our eyes, and he's like ‘Man, you guys are real’. He told my brother ‘Man, y’know the world gotta see your passion, see it through the eyes of a gangster. They gotta hear all this pain, tears, blood, scars’, and they gonna hear all that... People say he [Eminem] ain’t wired or he ain’t from the hood, nah, he’s real, believe me!"
The T.R.I.B.E. continued on the path of rock and metal influence when they released a full album entitled ‘Angry Samoans’ in 2006. The album received critical acclaim and favorable reviews.
[edit] Other Success
According to Godfather, alongside the album, the T.R.I.B.E. are busy with other ventures, “It’s like this, I got a new clothing line called Gawtti… it’s blowing up all over Japan – it’s like twice a year we go over there. We just started our campaign for our clothesline out in Europe…We’re also working on our heavy metal stuff. We’re creating jobs for my family… keep it so my family, my neighborhood, have jobs. Half of my people are on parole, they can’t go into good jobs with tattoos and long hair.” Gawtti also landed a role in the 2003 hit movie The Italian Job.
[edit] Their Message
The Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E. have a past shaded by a criminal way of life. Yet, Godfather insists they do not aim to portray their past crimes in good light: “We don’t put it out there – we don’t want to praise it. Instead we talk about the circumstances surrounding our lives, the how and the why. The detail, well that's just that part of our lives."
[edit] Trivia
- The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. are all of Samoan descent. Their father is a Baptist minister.
- They were members of the Los Angeles gang Bloods.
- They started their career in Japan.
- T.R.I.B.E. stands for Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire.
- The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. has gained a small rock fanbase in addition to their larger hip hop fanbase, partly due to their performance alongside the influential Faith No More on the Judgement Night soundtrack and their willingness to experiment with rock and heavy metal.
- Band member Gawtti is the owner of the hip-hop clothing line "Gawtti".
- They are more famous in Europe and Japan. They are also well-known in the L.A. area.
- When they first started, they were called the Blue City Crew.
- They were one of the first rap groups to make hip hop with a Rock sound, Funk rhythm, and Rap vocals. They were also one of the early pioneers in G-Funk.
- They are featured on the rock group P.O.D.'s album Testify, on the emotional song "On the Grind".
- They were featured briefly on the Cypress Hill track "Hole in the Head" on Cypress Hill's debut album, as well as the Club Nouveau track, "No Friend of Mine."
- Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. are featured on the Transplants' song "What I Can't Describe" from their Haunted Cities album.
[edit] Discography
- 1989 New Funky Nation (4th&Bway)
- 1995 Occupation Hazardous (First Kut)
- 1995 Doomsday (Bullet Proof/Music for Nations)
- 1997 Angry Samoans (demo)
- 2000 Mafia Lifestyle (Samoan Mafia Records)
- 2003 West Koasta Nostra (Oglio)
- 2006 Angry Samoans (rereleased for Samoan Mafia Records)
