Young Black Teenagers

All Music Guide:

Despite their name, the Young Black Teenagers (YBT) weren't ethnically black at all -- four of them were white, and another of Puerto Rican descent. The concept struck some in the hip-hop community as ridiculous and even offensive, but the group was sincerely attempting to pay tribute to the black culture they loved and identified with. What's more, they had the backing of Public Enemy and their production team, the Bomb Squad; in fact, YBT was the first act signed to Hank Shocklee's Sound of Urban Listeners label, founded in 1990. Young Black Teenagers were composed of MCs Knowledgable Child, First Born, ATA, and Tommy Never (the first three of whom all had DJ experience), plus full-time DJ Skribble. Knowledgable Child had previously worked as a live DJ alongside members of PE, which was instrumental in landing the group a record deal. They debuted in 1991 with an eponymous album, which spun off several singles, including "Nobody Knows Kelli" (a humorous tribute to Married With Children), "Proud to Be Black," and "To My Donna" (which roasted Madonna for lifting the PE track "Security of the First World" as the basis for "Justify My Love"). YBT next moved up to MCA and released their biggest hit, "Tap the Bottle," which appeared on their 1993 sophomore effort, Dead Enz Kids Doin' Lifetime Bidz. However, a falling out with the PE camp left the group in the lurch, and they eventually disbanded. DJ Skribble went on to greater fame in the late '90s as an MTV in-house DJ, appearing on a number of network productions while continuing to DJ at clubs around New York.

Wikipedia:

Young Black Teenagers (YBT) was an early 1990s American rap group consisting of Kamron, First Born, Anthony DelCioppo, Tommy Never, and DJ Skribble. Despite their name, none of the group was black. They intended their name as a tribute to the black culture they were influenced by, but some thought their name offensive or ridiculous.

YBT had the support of the prominent rap group Public Enemy and their producer Hank Shocklee signed them as the first act of his label Sound of Urban Listeners (SOUL). They released their second album with MCA Records.

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"). After the first album, Tommy Never inexplicably left the group, and YBT became a foursome, with A.T.A. contributing more vocally. Their second album, Dead Enz Kids Doin' Lifetime Bidz (1993), featured the song "Tap the Bottle", their biggest single. The band did gain some publicity (albeit not necessarily positive) for the song "Time To Make The Dough Nutz", as it contained a sample of Rush's 1981 hit "Tom Sawyer", angering many devoted Rush fans, even though YBT insisted it had been meant as a tribute.

YBT were listed among VH1's "Least Hiphop Moments", where they were overtly ridiculed for their overall name and premise.

After "Tap The Bottle" became their only worldwide hit, YBT called it a day in 1994.

DJ Skribble worked for MTV for several years as an in-house DJ. He currently owns a car customization shop called 'Skribble's Auto Spa' located in Queens, New York. Kamron (Ron Winge) along with ATA (Rodney) previously ran a music studio in Roosevelt, New York and produced hip hop tracks. Kamron works with the Marksmen now producing tracks for video games and prominent musicians. He also played the role of Jamal in House Party 2. He also DJ's at clubs in New York City.

A.T.A. (Rodney) is a manager and a clothing entrepreneur. First Born owns and operates a tattoo shop in Brooklyn, New York called Ringleaderz Ink. Tommy Never worked with Clivillés + Cole in The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. after leaving YBT. He now runs a wealth management firm in New York.

Singles