Their 1989 Def Jam debut The Cactus Album was greeted with enthusiastic reviews. They helped set the tone for the way white rappers could credibly and intelligently approach the music, and despite staying together for only two albums, they managed to create a highly positive lasting impact. They possessed a well-developed lyrical technique and were respectfully well versed in Hip Hop culture and tradition. Following the Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass proved that white Hip Hop wasn’t going to become a watered-down, commercial rip-off of the art, as many white interpretations of black music had been in the past. In their time, 3rd Bass was one of a small number of white Hip Hop artists to achieve wide acceptance in the larger community. When they were signed to Def Jam they changed their name to 3rd Bass. They recorded a couple of songs including Wordz of Wizdom which ended up being included on the Cactus Album. Through Sam Sever and Dante Ross, Pete and Rich were introduced to MC Serch who ended up working together and forming the group Three the Hard Way. He began working with Richard Lawson (DJ Richie Rich). Pete’s radio show lasted until 1988 until it was canceled and he focused his attention on rap. Pete earned a basketball scholarship to Columbia University in 1985 where he began hosting his own Hip Hopshow with DJ Clark Kent on the campus radio station WKCR. He eventually attended Bishop Ford High School and began playing basketball, although he still was spending his time with hip hop. He then recorded his first solo single “Melissa” in 1986 and followed that up with the single “Hey Boy”.Īround the same time Prime Minister Pete Nice was writing rhymes while attending junior high in the neighborhood of South Floral Park.

In the mid 80’s Serch was performing with groups like Gangster 5 and SZ Connection. MC Serch spent his youth learning the skills of MC’ing and attended the High School of Music and Art where he perfected his skill. For the serious 3rd Bass fan though, 3rd was much deeper than one song. For the casual listener of Hip Hop in the late 80’s and early 90’s, 3rd Bass was synonymous with Pop Goes the Weasel the Vanilla Ice bashing song and video.

Songs on 3rd bass cactus album