Who Are The Nappy Roots?

by Tom Speed
April 2, 2008

Back in 2002, Kentucky’s Nappy Roots set themselves apart from the rest of the hip-hop world by proudly embracing their rural southern heritage with the ubiquitous hit single “Aw, Naw” from their breakout major label debut album “Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz.”

On Atlantic Records, “Watermelon” was a platinum seller that earned the group a barrage of accolades, including two Grammy nominations and two American Music Association nods. Their follow-up 2003 CD “Wooden Leather” sold in large numbers, too, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard charts.

But an acrimonious relationship with Atlantic led the band to break out on their own. In a dispute that grew out of both artistic and financial concerns, they finally severed ties with the label in 2005 and later formed their own company.

During the dust-up, they continued to make music. They released “Innerstate Music” exclusively as an Internet download last year. They entertained troops in Iraq as part of a USO tour. Plus, they’ve been toiling away on the same record they were working on when Atlantic cut them from their roster.

Their new company, Nappy Roots Entertainment Group, has forged an alliance with Fontana Records, a division of Universal Records Group. The new deal promises the group more autonomy with the benefit of major distribution, and it plans to release a variety of side-projects through the joint effort. “The Humdinger” is set for release this summer on Fontana.

“It presents everything as far as control,” Nappy’s Big V says in a phone interview, “because you don’t have to go with the usual protocol other artists have to do when they sign with a major.”

Despite their former success, many fans may have forgotten them. It’s easy to view the group as a one-hit wonder whose follow-up CD fell short of expectations and subsequently got cut from their label. There’s still the nagging problem of what many considered a near-cartoonish image of the Nappy Roots as backwoods hicks. Videos of the Nappy Roots perpetually portrayed them in straw hats and overalls.

Five years after their last national release, who are the Nappy Roots today?

“Good Day,” the lead single from “The Humdinger,” is a light-hearted romp that’s (perhaps purposefully) reminiscent of “Aw, Naw.” There’s even a lyrical reference to their big hit. Propelled by an irresistible piano sample, and a chorus of unbridled enthusiasm sung by a children’s choir: “We’re gonna have a good day/all we want to do is get by today/ain’t nobody got to cry today/ain’t nobody gonna die today/save that drama for another day.” Nappy was never all sunshine and happiness though, and other tracks bear this out. “Flex” features a hard-driving beat and sordid tales of online sex and one-night stands.

“This record is the mature Nappy Roots,” says Nappy’s Big V. “We’re getting away from the country thing. Everybody knows we’re southern, so we’re country. But you don’t have to put us in straw hats and overalls for y’all to hear that.”

Yet a new melodic and minimalist rumination on rural pleasures, “Small Town,” fails to steer clear of stereotypical imagery, citing gravel roads, cow fields and shotguns among its litany of tributes.

It remains to be seen whether “The Humdinger” will put the Nappy Roots back in the spotlight. Its release has been delayed time and time again. For now, they are a once hugely popular hip-hop group trying to regain a foothold in the music world by retracing the steps that got them to the top.

Joining Nappy Roots for the Jackson show will be long-time collaborator and Jackson rapper and Jackson Free Press columnist, Kamikaze. They formed a collaboration many years ago when Nappy made a tour stop in Jackson in support of “Watermelon.”

They invited Kamikaze, who had been one half of the duo Crooked Lettaz, along with David Banner, and who had released a successful solo record, “Too Broke 2 Ball,” to tour with them. They subsequently spent four months on the road together.

“I got a first-hand look at them from being on the road with them,” Kamikaze says. “We formed a friendship. They opened their arms to me. I consider them to be family.” They’ve remained tight ever since. In 2004, Nappy Roots and Kamikaze released the single “Get ‘Em Back.”

“Usually in Jackson, we get more of the hard stuff,” he says. “There’s no market for people who want to see the college oriented hip-hop, and this is their opportunity to come out and see it.” Kamikaze, too, will be debuting some new material from his forthcoming release, “The Franchise.”

Nappy Roots will perform in Jackson at Hal & Mal’s on April 9 as part of the nationwide “Pursuit of Nappyness” tour. The show is being filmed for a concert DVD.

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