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Young Black Teenagers

Young Black Teenagers (YBT) was an American hip hop group from Long Island, New York that formed in 1989 and released two albums. Despite its name, none of the group's five members were teenagers nor black.[1][2]

Young Black Teenagers
Also known asYBT
OriginLong Island, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Years active1989–1994
Labels
  • Sound of Urban Listeners
  • MCA
Past members

Its members were ATA, First Born, Tommy Never, Kamron, and DJ Skribble.[1] YBT had the support of the prominent rap group Public Enemy, whose producer Hank Shocklee signed them as the first act of his label Sound of Urban Listeners (SOUL).[3] They released their second album with MCA Records.[1]

History

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Formation

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The group formed in 1989, and eventually the name Young Black Teenagers because the five members, who were all white, had grown up in black neighborhoods and felt associated with black culture, which their families did not understand.[2] "We're not trying to call ourselves black, because obviously we're white" said Kamron, who occupied the same social circles as Public Enemy and convinced Hank Shocklee, Public Enemy's producer, to sign Young Black Teenagers to his new label Sound of Urban Listeners (SOUL).[4] In an interview with The New York Times, Firstborn called hip hop "a state of mind" and Kamron said, "we are at least two years ahead of our time".[2]

Music

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Their debut album Young Black Teenagers (1991) featured the singles "Nobody Knows Kelli" (about the character Kelly Bundy from the sitcom Married... with Children), "Proud to Be Black", and "To My Donna" (an attack on Madonna for taking the rhythm track of the Public Enemy song "Security of the First World" for her single "Justify My Love").[1] The group appeared on The Joan Rivers Show in January 1991.[2] After the first album, Tommy Never left the group, and YBT became a foursome, with A.T.A. contributing more vocally. Their second album, Dead Enz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz (1993),[1] featured the song "Tap the Bottle", their biggest single. The group broke up in 1994.

Reception

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Some audiences did not respond well to the Young Black Teenagers being white. A crowd in London met them with jeers and an audience at the Apollo Theater did not applaud (Firstborn told The New York Times, "When you are playing the Apollo and you are five white guys, and no one throws a chair at you, that's considered a success").[2] Young Black Teenagers were listed among VH1's "Least Hiphop Moments" for their name and premise.

Members

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  • Adam "Firstborn" Weiner – rap vocals, main artist, songwriter
  • Ron "Kamron" Winge – rap vocals, main artist, songwriter
  • Rodney "ATA" Rivera – rap vocals, main artist, songwriter
  • Tommy Never – rap vocals, main artist, songwriter
  • Scott "DJ Skribble" Ialacci – main artist, turntables, sampler

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[5] 		US
R&B
/HH
[6]
Young Black Teenagers — —
Dead Enz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz
  • Released: February 2, 1993
  • Label: S.O.U.L/MCA
  • Formats: CD, LP, Cassette, digital download
 158 56
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

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As lead artist

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List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[7] 		US Dance
[8] 		US R&B
[9] 		US Rap
[10] 		NZ
[11] 		UK
[12]
"Nobody Knows Kelli/Proud to Be Black"[13] 1990 — — — — — — Young Black Teenagers
"To My Donna"[13] 1991 — — — — — —
"Loud & Hard to Hit" — — — 24 — —
"Tap the Bottle" 1992 55 27 73 6 5 39 Dead Enz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz
"Roll W/ the Flavor" 1993 — — — 22 25 —
"First True Love Affair" — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

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List of singles, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Hail to the Chief"[15] 2000 Non-album single

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 373. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  2. ^ a b c d e Harrison, Nancy (March 4, 1991). "Young Black Teen-Agers disappoint by being neither black nor teenagers". Newspapers.com. New York Times News Service. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "Interview: DJ Kamron of the All-White Young Black Teenagers Talks Being Rap's Rachel Dolezal". Complex.com. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Darling, Cary (May 13, 1991). "Now it's Young Black Teenagers who aren't". Newspapers.com. Orange County Register. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  5. ^ "Special Ed Chart History". Billboard 200. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Special Ed Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "3rd Bass - US Hot 100". billboard.com. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  8. ^ "3rd Bass - US Dance Club Songs". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "3rd Bass - US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "3rd Bass - US Hot Rap Songs". billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  11. ^ "3rd Bass Chart History (Recorded Music NZ)". Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "3rd Bass Chart History (UK Singles Chart)". Official Charts. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Young Black Teenagers - Proud to Be Black (12 inch Vinyl Single - MCA #24073)". AllMusic.
  14. ^ "MC Lyte – Cold Rock a Party". Top 40 Singles". NZ Music Charts. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  15. ^ I Wanna Be Me (track listing). Antoinette. Next Plateau Records Inc. 2000. NP50131.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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