The Brooklyn Nets continue to celebrate hip-hop “The Brooklyn Way” with gusto during last night’s playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers, bringing out revered rap duo M.O.P. to take centerstage during their halftime show. The Bushwick duo delivered a rim-rocker of a performance, dishing out their 2000 classic “Ante Up.”
“It’s a major look. Just to touch down in the middle of the court live in Brooklyn [is special],” says Lil’ Fame, one-half of the rap duo. “We ran around these parts before this thing was even built. Just to come back on a positive note and do what we do naturally, it’s a good thing.”
The crowd reveled at the group’s frenetic energy as it yielded shockwaves throughout Barclays Center in hopes of helping the Nets secure a much-needed Game 3 win — which they failed to produce, as the Sixers pulled ahead in the game’s final stretch. Released in 2000, “Ante Up” peaked at No. 19 on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart and featured multiple cameos in its video, from the likes of Gang Starr, Method Man, and Buckshot of Black Moon.
“Ante Up’ is not just an anthem; it’s a world record,” says Fame. “We could perform that song everywhere we go, and they go crazy. We’ve been blessed to have ‘Ante Up.’ It’s a gift that keeps giving. The impact that it had on the hood and what it had on hip-hop overall was successful. It was a beautiful thing.”
“Ante Up” also received the remix treatment, with guest turns from Busta Rhymes, Remy Ma and Teflon. “It was a blessing, man. When you align yourself with these type of talents that M.O.P. bring to the table, it’s only natural that you come and bring your A-game,” relays Teflon. “So I appreciate them tipping their hats off to me. Of course, I tip my hat off to them.”
Since their entry in the early ’90s, M.O.P. has served as a staple in New York hip-hop after notable runs with Loud Records, Roc-A-Fella, and G-Unit. Though they lack the commercial accessibility of some of their contemporaries, their street rigor always echoed through the five boroughs. “We definitely in there, but there’s so many before us. Run D.M.C., Tribe Called Quest, N.W.A., Geto Boys, Cypress Hill and M.O.P. is right there with them,” says Fame of their own all-time status. “There’s not so many groups out in hip-hop right now that’s still locked in. We’ve been locked in since we were kids. This was before music.”
“Maybe this explains why when people talk about the greatest groups of all time, many don’t mention M.O.P.,” adds Billy Danze. “Maybe we should feel a way — but the fact that Fame just mentioned is that we’re not a group anyway, so we shouldn’t feel bothered. And we will make short work of whoever the f–k they put out there. We’re just being honest.”
With a dearth of groups in today’s landscapes, the duo offer insight into what’s needed to break through and succeed: “Just do something different. When I think about M.O.P. and how we make music, what comes to mind is our personality and how we know each other. The reason why we continue to keep going at this same level is because we did it differently. No one ever had a sound like M.O.P. So for the next group that wanna be something special, if you do it differently, you got a really good shot of doing that. You might even be a young M.O.P. or something, and we might train ya.”