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Beatnuts Information
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'The Beatnuts' are a hip hop crew from Queens, New York City. Members are Ju-Ju (Jerry Tineo), of Dominican descent, and Psycho Les (Lester Fernandez), of Colombian descent. The only Latino members of the Native Tongues Posse, they have had long-standing involvement with the crew's activities. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged as valued by Q-Tip, who has shouted them out at least twice on record (once in 1991 and once in 1996.)
Early on in their career they produced whole albums for Posse members Common and Chi-Ali. Their production is noted as some of the finest and 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. Jennifer Lopez used their track "Watch Out Now" as the instrumental for her song "Jenny from the Block".
The Beatnuts are noted for being unabashedly, bullishly ribald and in-your-face performers. They speak in short sentences; pepper their lyrics with exaggerated braggadocio, threats of violence, and gay-baiting; and frequently portray a "ride or die" attitude toward living a thug's life. Recent Beatnuts albums are characterised by more Latin influences.
Predilection toward collaborations
Collaborations with guest artists are a fixture of late-period Beatnuts albums. In particular, they have frequently acted in tandem with Masta Ace, who has aligned himself with them in light of his career resurgence, and Gregg Nice of Nice & Smooth, who has reignited his flagging career by playing the excitable hype man for both.
They are mainstays in the Latino hip-hop community, maintaining connections with Problems, Triple Seis, Tony Touch, Cuban Link, Prince Whipper Whip, Magic Juan of Proyecto Uno, and the late Big Pun.
Kool Fashion is the onetime third member of the group; he is now a devout Muslim pursuing a solo career under the name Al Tariq, and has collaborated with his former crew on occasion.
The Beatnuts have also worked with DJ Honda, Akon, Jurassic 5, Dead Prez, and Large Professor. Eminem has acknowledged them as an influence and invited them to to tour with him.
Discography
* 1993 Intoxicated Demons - The EP (Relativity/Violator)
* 1994 Street Level (Relativity/Violator)
* 1997 Stone Crazy (Relativity/Violator/Epic/Sony)
* 1997 Hydra Beats, Vol. 5
* 1998 Remix EP: The Spot (Relativity/Violator/Epic/Sony)
* 1999 A Musical Massacre (Loud/Sony)
* 2001 Take It or Squeeze It (Loud/Epic/Sony)
* 2002 Classic Nuts Vol. 1 (Loud/Epic/Sony)
* 2002 The Originators (Landspeed)
* 2004 Milk Me (Penalty)
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