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Few voices in Hip-Hop carry the authority of Treach. As the frontman of Naughty by Nature, he helped push New Jersey into the national conversation, balancing undeniable hit records with vicious lyricism. On top of that, he was a gold standard for originality during the Golden Era of the culture. Now, decades later, Treach is stepping into his solo chapter with Lyrical Miracle, a project that set off the new year.
Sitting down with at WonWorld Studios, Treach and Chuck Jigsaw Creekmur talk candidly about loyalty, mortality, independence, and the hard lessons learned from a generation. From being mentored by Queen Latifah and touring as a roadie alongside Tupac Shakur, Treach’s story is layered with history, pain, and also pride. The man, born Anthony Criss, is a blueprint for how OGs can move forward in a positive way and maintain their hood pass.
AllHipHop: You finally dropped your first solo project, Lyrical Miracle. Fans have been waiting. Why now?
Treach: I was always a die-hard loyalist to Naughty. I was on most of the albums, so a solo didn’t feel necessary. But the market changed. Our era of Hip-Hop isn’t getting new music played on mainstream radio. So I started looking at my archives. Hundreds of songs. Some joints are older, but most were recorded in the last year. I realized I didn’t want to wait until I’m gone for people to appreciate it. I want to release it while I’m here.
AllHipHop: You are going fully independent with it.
Treach: That’s the best route right now, especially for artists from our era. Nobody is investing in us like that. Independent means control. I’m learning how to be an executive, how to move a project, how to own it. I’m dropping multiple mixtapes this year, one each quarter.
AllHipHop: You’ve mentioned watching artists like Redman, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, and others stay active.
Treach: Absolutely. I’m watching how they move. Talking to them. Seeing what works. It’s strength in numbers. Our generation is supporting each other now, and that’s a beautiful thing.
AllHipHop: 2025 felt like the OGs really put the culture on their backs.
Treach: If there’s no market, make one. That’s Hip-Hop. We came from an era where battles were about skill, not bodies. A lot of people forget that battling was a way to avoid weapons. Now, when I see artists hustling backwards, mixing the streets with the business, it hurts. This was our way out. Not a way to die famous.
READ ALSO: Treach Steps Out Solo With Ice-T & New Mixtape
AllHipHop: Does Hip-Hop need a reset?
Treach: Definitely. We learned early not to mix the streets with the music business. Labels are watching. The government is watching. You are a bigger target when you’re famous. We had mentors who drilled that into us.
AllHipHop: Speaking of mentors, who guided you early?
Treach: Queen Latifah and Shakim, first and foremost. Then Chris Lighty. Mark the 45 King. We listened. It wasn’t in one ear and out the other. They let us be free, but they taught us the rules.
AllHipHop: Let’s talk Jersey. Do you feel like Naughty kicked the door down for New Jersey on a mainstream level?
Treach: It was a movement. Flavor Unit, Poor Righteous Teachers, those artists laid the foundation. We might have been the biggest commercially, but we followed a blueprint. Back then, if you weren’t from New York, people said you weren’t Hip-Hop. We had to earn respect. Sometimes we couldn’t even say Jersey until after we rocked the crowd.
AllHipHop: Your style was incredibly original. Everyone else was copying Kane, Rakim, G Rap.
Treach: You had to be original. I was a combination of all my influences, from Sugarhill Gang to Whodini, Slick Rick, Chuck D, and the godmothers like MC Lyte and Roxanne Shanté. But you still had to sound like you.
AllHipHop: You balanced commercial hits with hard records like “Guard Your Grill.” That second album still hits.
Treach: By the second album, we had confidence. We knew the formula. Once you know what you’re doing, you can’t let your city down.
AllHipHop: Fans ask about your writing for other artists.
Treach: They call it ghostwriting. It is what it is. People heard my pen and wanted it. That’s love.
AllHipHop: Naughty by Nature’s social media has all three of you again. Any chance of a reunion?
Treach: Never say never. Not now, but tides change. We’ve had anniversaries where things didn’t line up, and that’s why I moved forward solo. I can’t wait anymore.
AllHipHop: You spoke on mortality in a powerful way.
Treach: Every day we get closer to death. That’s reality. You have to set up your legacy while you’re here. Wills. Instructions. Don’t let your life’s work sit in storage or get taken by the government. Hip-Hop museums exist now. There’s space for our history. We just have to plan.
AllHipHop: You were very close with Tupac. How did that bond form?
Treach: We toured together on Tommy Boy. We were both roadies. Carrying bags. Doing sound checks. We weren’t just on stage. That builds brotherhood.
AllHipHop: There was a lot of tension back then, especially East Coast and West Coast.
Treach: We were young, full of ego, and straight from the streets. We were fighting our way through towns. It’s a blessing we made it home. Real ones exist everywhere. That’s something you learn with time.
AllHipHop: How do you see the industry today?
Treach: No gatekeepers. Anybody can upload and be seen. That’s good and bad. It’s hard work, but it’s also luck. There are more artists than fans now. And people forget there are real bags behind the scenes. Film. Media. Ownership. You don’t have to be a rapper to win in Hip-Hop.
AllHipHop: Any artists you want to collaborate with now?
Treach: I want to work with everybody. OGs and young artists. The culture is the culture.
AllHipHop: In The Art of Rap, the documentary by Ice-T, Eminem talks about how “Yoke the Joker” impacted him.
Treach: That means everything. Flowers from your peers hit different. Especially from someone of that caliber.
