Nappy Roots debut independent album Country Fried Cess was released in 1999, which led to the group being signed by Atlantic Records. Their first album on Atlantic was 2002′s biggest selling hip-hop album, “Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz”.
“Herschel Dixon (Tour Coordinator for The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign) is responsible for bringing Nappy Roots into our family,” says The Write Stuff and Conversations Book Club Founder Cyrus A. Webb, 33. “He was friends with some of the members (attending college with some of them at Western Kentucky University), told them about the project, and they were more than willing to lend their support to a cause that they are also passionate about.”
Their next album with Atlantic Records was Wooden Leather, released in 2003, featuring the singles “Roun’ the Globe” which was featured on Madden 2004 and “Sick and Tired” (featuring Anthony Hamilton). This critically acclaimed, major label follow up album, “Wooden Leather” featured production from Kanye West, David Banner and Lil Jon.
Since the release of Wooden Leather they are back to being independent artists, and have started their own label, N.R.E.G (Nappy Roots Entertainment Group) with distribution through Fontana/Universal Music Group.
In 2008, the Nappy Roots returned to the spotlight with an internet campaign targeting the mega-popular hip-hop sites to promote their album Humdinger. It entered the Billboard Rap Charts at #7 and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at #13.
Nappy Roots last toured across the country on the “Pursuit of Nappyness” tour and are working on their next project. They released this statement to The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign about their feelings about reading: “From contracts to lyrics, reading is probably the most important element in this music industry. We are glad to support a cause that gives something back to our fans and helps us become a better world.”
To find our more about Nappy Roots, visit http://www.myspace.com/nappyrootsmusic or http://www.twitter.com/nappyroots
Want to find out more about The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign and what it is doing to encourage reading in your area and beyond? Visit http://www.thewritestufftv.com and http://ce-leb-re-al-a-cy.ning.com. JOIN THE ADDICTION: Get hooked on books!
