Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.

Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. is an American hip hop group from Carson, California, composed of the Devoux brothers Paul, Ted (died 2018), Donald, Roscoe, Danny, David and Vincent. Their family is from American Samoa. They 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 being discharged,[1] 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."[2]

Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
Origin	Carson, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop, West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, G-funk, rap metal, funk metal
Years active	1988–present
Labels	4th & B'way/Island, Samoan Mafia, Hollywood BASIC
Members	Paul "Ganxsta Ridd" Devoux Vincent "Gawtti" Devoux Donald "Kobra" Devoux Danny "Monsta O" Devoux Roscoe "Murder One" Devoux
Past members	Ted "Godfather" Devoux David "E.K.A." Devoux

Career

They first began playing music in their father's Baptist church. Before anyone else arrived, they would play P-Funk and experiment with other forms of hip hop. Particularly popular in their South Bay neighborhood, they began to dance to funk music. The brothers then created the dance crew the Blue City Strutters and publicly performed. All members are former members or members of West Side Piru and Samoan Warrior Bounty Hunters. Despite their religious upbringing, the brothers eventually fell into the gang scene popular in their home of Carson, California.[1] However, their brother Roscoe lived in Compton and was a member of the Park Village Compton Crips. 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."[3][4] To get away from the gang culture, the brothers decided to leave Los Angeles and go to Japan.[1] While there, they were inspired to begin performing music again, with Paul "Gangxta R.I.D." rapping in front of eager Japanese audiences.[2] They toured Japan in the mid 1980s and became popular.[2] 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.[5]

Their debut album, 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. They have also recorded music in the rap metal genre,[6] and Angry Samoans incorporated heavy metal influences.[3][7]

Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. appeared on the Judgment Night soundtrack performing "Another Body Murdered" with Faith No More, on Kid Frost's East Side Story LP, on The Transplants' 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'[8] which was released as a single in the U.S. and appeared on their debut album Express Yourself Clearly internationally.[9]

Ted Devoux (aka The Godfather) died on April 29, 2018 at age 55.[10][11][12]

Influence

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.[2] 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.[3]

The four brothers began their musical careers on a small scale performing instrumentals at their father's Baptist church. While on their own, they would practice funk hits from the American band Parliament-Funkadelic. The Brothers got their start through professional dance then later found their way into making the music to which they enjoyed dancing.[2] In 2000 David Devoux left and was replaced by Vincent Devoux aka Gawtti.[13] When Donald and Vincent were young, they were in an episode of Fame.[1].

Discography

Albums

Album Information
New Funky Nation Released: April 10, 1990 Chart Positions: #117 US, #33 R&B/Hip-Hop Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Psyko Funk"
Doomsday Released: 1994 Chart Positions: Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Doomsday", "Kill 'Em All", "Get Gatted On"
Occupation Hazardous Released: November 7, 1995 Chart Positions: Last RIAA certification: Singles:
Metally Disturbed Released: June 4, 1996 Chart Positions:N/A Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Metally Disturbed"
Angry Samoans Released: 1997 Chart Positions: Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Skared for Lyfe", "Buried Alive", "Boogie Man"
Mafia Lifestyle Released: October 31, 2000 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Mafia Lifestyle", "All Mighty Boo-Yaa"
West Koasta Nostra Released: October 7, 2003 Chart Positions: #85 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Last RIAA certification: Singles: "Bang On", "911", "State of Emergency"
Business As Usual Released: November 13, 2006 Chart Positions: Last RIAA certification: Singles: "G's from the Otha Side", "If I Die, Let Me Roll"

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		US R&B HipHop [14]	NZ [15]	NED [16]	UK [17]
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	"Another Body Murdered" (with Faith 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.

References

1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 164. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
2. 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
4. "Victims In A Gang War". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 1989. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
5. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. | New Music And Songs". Mtv.com. August 7, 2003. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
6. "Eminem Raps With Boo Yaa Tribe". Billboard.com. July 16, 2003. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
7. Andy Kellman. "Angry Samoans - Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
8. "E.Y.C. & Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. – Get Some". Discogs.com.
9. "Express Yourself Clearly - E.Y.C." AllMusic.
10. "Hip Hop Pays Respects To The Godfather Of Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E." Hiphopdx.com. April 29, 2018.
11. "Godfather of Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. Passes Away". BallerStatus.com. April 29, 2018.
12. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.'s Godfather Has Passed Away « Blackout Hip Hop". Blackouthiphop.com.
13. The brothers followed in the literal footsteps of famous local street dancer Dennis Angeles, who would drop a dime anytime he heard a hip hop beat
14. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
15. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - New Zealand Chart". Charts.nz. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
16. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - Dutch chart". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
17. "Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - UK Chart". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2014.

External links

• Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. on Myspace