Eleven years after the release of Naughty by Nature's self-titled debut, which spawned the monster hit single "O.P.P.," the rap outfit hopes to return to the airwaves in a big way with Iicons, due April 23rd. And they'll have some help, as the album features vocals from 3LW on the first single "Feels Good" (Don't Worry Bout A Thing)", not to mention vocals from Pink, Queen Latifah, Method Man, Redman, and Carl Thomas -- and even a Peter Gabriel sample.

Iicons is Naughty's first album since 1999's 19 Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury, after which, according to frontman Treach, "the DJ quit, we got dropped off the label [Arista], I went through a divorce and my best friend got murdered . . . Basically Naughty was at the worst time mentally and professionally and [we] reconstructed. We're too old to be new school and too new to be old school, so we basically didn't have a home. Not really knowing where we fit in, a lot of labels didn't want to sign us 'cause they looked at us like has-beens, so, just fighting that, I think we made the best album we've ever made."

Longtime friends Method Man and Redman appear on the track, "Rock N' Roll." "The title might make people think of the music [rock & roll]," Treach says of the song, "but, with all the frustrations we had, it means strap on your helmet and get ready to go out there." As for Pink, Naughty by Nature met her at a party and invited her to visit them in the studio. She ended up singing on the track "What U Wanna Do." "Pink, this girl right here is real," Treach says. "We got in the studio and magic was made. When she went in and sang it, she can sing. It was not no studio magic."

Queen Latifah, who gave the group its start in hip-hop, guests on "Red Light." "We basically had another track, and we said, 'This album is not done until we got Latifah on it.'" Other artists on the record include Road Dawg and Rottin Razkals, Icarus, Lil' Jon and Chyna Whyte.

"You're gonna hear the pain, the hunger, the loyalty, the devotion on this record," Treach promises. "I don't care if we don't sell nothing, but the people who do hear it are gonna know."

The track listing for Iicons:

"Feels Good" (Don't Worry Bout A Thing)," featuring 3LW
"What U Wanna Do," featuring Pink
"Rock N' Roll," featuring Method Man and Redman
"Naughty By Nature," featuring Carl Thomas
"Fight Back," featuring Peter Gabriel
"Red Light," featuring Queen Latifah
"Wild Muthafuckas," featuring Lil Jon and Chyna Whyte
"Rah Rah," featuring Rottin Razkals
"Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust," featuring Icarus and Freddie Foxxx
"NJ to LA," featuring Road Dawgz and Rottin Razkals
"Swing Swang"
"If We Don't Ride"
"Let Me Find Out"
"Family Tree"
"What U Don't Know"
"Iicons"

CHRISTINA SARACENO
(February 15, 2002)