Naughty by Nature, the iconic hip-hop group from New Jersey, is helping provide masks and other protective gear in Essex County.

 

The group that came out of Newark and East Orange is giving back to those communities now facing a medical crisis. The group will donate N95 and surgical masks, as well as isolation gowns, beginning next week.

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“It definitely touched home because my girlfriend, her grandmother passed away the day before yesterday from COVID," says Vin Rock, with Naughty by Nature.

 

The donation to the hospitals and medical facilities in Newark, East Orange and Irvington is a partnership with real estate entrepreneur Donahue Baker.

"Naughty, we've been touring basically since 1991, and 2021 will be the 30 anniversary of our group being out, and this coronavirus thing has been crazy because there has been a shortage of PPE, that is personal protective equipment,” says Rock. “We've heard from a lot of people in the medical community reaching out to us because one of our famous songs is called Down with OPP and that's basically other people's property. So, people are reaching out, you have to remix your song down with PPE, and they have a lot of memes now. I just texted you a meme of it.

The group is also helping to raise money to fight COVID-19 with a remix of their hit Hip Hop Hooray, sung by actress and singer Rita Wilson.

Wilson recorded the song when she was suffering from coronavirus, and it became an online sensation.