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Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Carson, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | 4th & B'way/Island, Samoan Mafia,Hollywood BASIC |
| Members | Vincent "Gawtti" Devoux Donald "Kobra" Devoux Roscoe "Murder One" Devoux David "E.K.A." Devoux |
| Past members | Ted "Godfather" Devoux(deceased) Paul "Ganxsta Ridd" Devoux(deceased) Danny "Monsta O" Devoux(deceased) |
Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is an Americanhip hop band fromCarson,California, consisting of theAmerican Samoan brothers Paul (died 2020), Ted (died 2018), Donald, Roscoe, Danny (died 2022), David and Vincent Devoux. They are known for combiningfunk andmetal influences, withgangsta rap 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 ashotgun being discharged,[2] while the "T.R.I.B.E." stands for "TooRoughInternationalBoo-YaaEmpire." According to hip-hop documentarians, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is "synonymous with hip hop in Los Angeles."[3]
The brothers got their start through professional dance then later found their way into making the music to which they enjoyed dancing.[3] In 2000 David Devoux left and was replaced by Vincent Devoux aka Gawtti.[4] When Donald and Vincent were young, they were in an episode ofFame.[2] After beginning to play together as afunk 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 SidePiru and Samoan WarriorBounty Hunters. Despite their religious upbringing, the brothers eventually fell into the gang scene popular in their home ofCarson,California.[2] 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."[5][6]
To get away from the gang culture, the brothers decided to leave Los Angeles and go to Japan.[2] While there, they were inspired to begin performing music again, with Paul "Ganxsta Ridd" rapping in front of eager Japanese audiences.[3] They toured Japan in the mid-1980s and became popular.[3] 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.[7]
Their debutalbum,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 theJudgment Night soundtrack performing "Another Body Murdered" withFaith No More, onKid Frost'sEast Side Story LP, on TheTransplants'Haunted Cities LP and on the rock groupP.O.D.'sTestify, 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 onE.Y.C.'s track 'Get Some'[8] which was released as a single in the U.S. and appeared on their debut albumExpress Yourself Clearly internationally.[9]
Ted Devoux,a.k.a. The Godfather, died on April 29, 2018, at age 55.[10][11][12] Paul Devoux,a.k.a. Ganxsta Ridd, died on December 4, 2020, at the age of 52 due to renal failure.[13] Danny Devoux,a.k.a. Monsta O, died on October 12, 2022, at the age of 56.[14]
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 bandParliament-Funkadelic. 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 asgangsta rap.[citation needed] They draw from themes which include homicide,carjacking, andmarijuana use.[15]
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."[citation needed] 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.[3] 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.[5]
| Album Information |
|---|
New Funky Nation
|
Doomsday
|
Occupation Hazardous
|
Metally Disturbed
|
Angry Samoans
|
Mafia Lifestyle
|
West Koasta Nostra
|
Business As Usual
|
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B HipHop [16] | NZ [17] | NED [18] | UK [19] | ||||||
| 1988 | "Coming Hard To America" | — | — | — | — | single only | |||
| 1989 | "R.A.I.D." | — | 18 | — | 93 | New Funky Nation | |||
| 1990 | "Psyko Funk" | 93 | — | 43 | 43 | ||||
| "Walk The Line"(US only) | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1992 | "Rumors Of A Dead Man"(US only) | — | — | — | — | South Central OST | |||
| 1993 | "Get Some"(withE.Y.C.)[20] | — | — | — | — | Express Yourself Clearly | |||
| "Another Body Murdered"(withFaith No More) | — | 41 | — | 26 | Judgment Night OST | ||||
| 1994 | "Get Gatted On" | — | — | — | — | Doomsday | |||
| "Death Row California" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1997 | "Skared For Lyfe" | — | — | — | — | Angry Samoans | |||
| 2003 | "Bang On" | — | — | — | — | West Koasta Nostra | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
