Way Back: Oh Yeah (1995)
“What I stand for, and what it's worth
You see my life flash in front of yo face and think it's cursed”
- Fam on “Oh Yeah”
In mid-March of 1995, the New Jersey trio Rottin Razkals (Diesel, Fam, and Chap) released their debut album, Rottin To Da Core. Released on Mad Sound Recording under the Illtown label, the project received mixed reviews. It spawned two charting singles, with the most notable being “Oh Yeah”.
It had all the classic hip-hop bells and whistles: a recognizable Commodores sample, a fly music video, a catchy hook, and dope verses. If the vibe of the song sounds familiar, that’s because the song was written and produced by Naughty By Nature. Treach of Naughty, was the big brother of Diesel, and his crew can be spotted in the music video.
There is a basic three verse and hook format, but within that construct, Diesel gives some real introspection.
Can my music be the savior of my race?
Cause you see reality written on my face
Diesel gave thoughtful contrast to Fam’s playful bars on this track. He looked inward at his skills and contemplated whether they could change his life before turning back to the hook.
Unfortunately, the words sang on the hook wouldn’t hold true. They chanted that they weren’t goin’ nowhere, but that mantra would prove ineffective. Rottin’ To Da Core was the group’s only release. They continued to feature on several other tracks, but never starred on their own project again. Another situation like this speaks to the depth of the mid-90’s, where the saturation of talent only allowed so many acts to prosper. Still they left us a few ill tracks, and “Oh Yeah” is a worthwhile ride back into that timeless 90’s sound.
