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Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is an American
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
band from Carson,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, consisting of the American Samoan brothers Paul (died 2020), Ted (died 2018), Donald, Roscoe, Danny (died 2022), David and Vincent Devoux. They are known for combining
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
influences, with
gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...
lyricism. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. became popular after touring in Japan in the mid-1980s, where they were initially known as the "Blue City Crew." The "Boo-Yaa" in their name signifies the sound of a
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
being discharged, while the "T.R.I.B.E." stands for "Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire." According to hip-hop documentarians, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is "synonymous with hip hop in Los Angeles."


Background

The brothers got their start through professional dance then later found their way into making the music to which they enjoyed dancing. In 2000 David Devoux left and was replaced by Vincent Devoux aka Gawtti. When Donald and Vincent were young, they were in an episode of '' Fame''. After beginning to play together as a
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
band, they formed the dance crew the Blue City Strutters and publicly danced to funk music, particularly in their South Bay neighborhood. All members are former members or members of West Side Piru and Samoan Warrior
Bounty Hunters A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
. Despite their religious upbringing, the brothers eventually fell into the gang scene popular in their home of Carson,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. After their youngest brother was killed in a gang-related shooting in 1987, they decided to turn their lives around and dedicate their lives to music because "that's what he would have wanted."


Career

To get away from the gang culture, the brothers decided to leave Los Angeles and go to Japan. While there, they were inspired to begin performing music again, with Paul "Ganxsta Ridd" rapping in front of eager Japanese audiences.Henderson, April K. "Dancing Between Islands: Hip Hop and the Samoan Diaspora." In The Vinyl Ain't Final: Hip Hop and the Globalization of Black Popular Culture, ed. by Dipannita Basu and Sidney J. Lemelle, 180-199. London; Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press, 200 They toured Japan in the mid-1980s and became popular. Upon their return to California in 1988, the group focused again on making music and re-christened themselves as the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. Their debut
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, ''New Funky Nation'', was different from most rap records at the time because the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. played live instruments on it. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. appeared on the '' Judgment Night'' soundtrack performing "
Another Body Murdered "Another Body Murdered" is a 1993 single by Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., taken from the soundtrack album for the film '' Judgment Night''. The brainchild of Cypress Hill's manager, Happy Walters, the soundtrack paired rock and hip-hop ...
" with
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
, on
Kid Frost Arturo R. Molina Jr. (born May 31, 1964), better known as Frost (originally Kid Frost), is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer. He charted in the 1990s with his first four albums: '' Hispanic Causing Panic'', '' East Side Story'', ...
's ''East Side Story'' LP, on The
Transplants Transplant or Transplantation may refer to: Sciences *Transplanting a plant from one location to another *Organ transplantation, moving an organ from one body to another *Transplant thought experiment, an experiment similar to Trolley problem *Tra ...
' ''Haunted Cities'' LP and on the rock group P.O.D.'s '' Testify'', with the track "On the Grind." The group also had moderate success with their 1989 single release, "R.A.I.D.". In 1993 they appeared on E.Y.C.'s track 'Get Some' which was released as a single in the U.S. and appeared on their debut album '' Express Yourself Clearly'' internationally. Ted Devoux, The Godfather, died on April 29, 2018, at age 55. Paul Devoux, Ganxsta Ridd, died on December 4, 2020, at the age of 52 due to renal failure. Danny Devoux, Monsta O, died on October 12, 2022, at the age of 56.


Style and influences

The four brothers began their musical careers on a small scale performing instrumentals at their father's A.O.G. "Assembly of God" church. While on their own, they would practice funk hits from the American band
Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...
. When the church was unoccupied, the brothers would experiment with other forms of hip hop. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.'s lyrics have been categorized as
gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...
. They draw from themes which include homicide,
carjacking Carjacking is a robbery in which a motor vehicle is taken over.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is usually i ...
, and
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
use. The Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. has also proven to be influential for other Samoan hip hop artists. Kosmo, an important Samoan hip-hop artist in New Zealand, cites the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. as "an original inspiration for his lifelong interest in street dance and...hip hop music." Additionally, as Samoans are often seen as a diasporic group spread out among various locations, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. have been successfully able to reconcile their roles as Samoans and Americans while still traveling and achieving success in Japan and other countries. The group's 1997 album, ''Angry Samoans'', hints at the connection to their Samoan heritage, as they are often identified with the California hip hop scene.


Discography


Albums


Singles


References


External links


Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
on
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
{{Authority control Hip-hop groups from California American people of Samoan descent Bloods Island Records artists Hollywood Records artists People from Carson, California Gangsta rap groups American rap metal musical groups Rappers from Los Angeles