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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Short description|American hip hop group}}
{{Refimprove|date=July 2008}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = 3rd Bass
| image             = 3rd Bass.jpg
| caption           = Left to right: MC Serch, Pete Nice, & DJ Richie Rich in 1990.
| origin            = New York City, U.S.
| genre             = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| occupation        = 
| years_active      = {{hlist|1985<!-- per source -->–1994<ref name="Year" />|1998–2000|2013
}}
| label             = {{hlist|[[Def Jam]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS]]}}
| website           = 
| current_members   = 
| past_members      = [[MC Serch]]<br />[[Pete Nice]]<br />[[DJ Richie Rich]]
| alias             = {{hlist|3 The Hard Way}}
}}

'''3rd Bass''' is an American [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] group that was most active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by [[MC Serch]], [[Pete Nice]], and [[DJ Richie Rich]], the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with the [[Beastie Boys]] and producer [[Rick Rubin]], MC Serch and Pete Nice were two of the very few white hip hop artists who were widely respected in the community.<ref name="AllMusic Cactus" /> The group dissolved in 1994, but had short-lived reunions in 2000 and 2013. The group released two studio albums in their initial career and both of them were certified [[RIAA certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/?s=3rd+bass| title= 3rd Bass |work=Gold & Platinum Database| publisher= Recording Industry Association of America| via= RIAA.com| access-date= June 1, 2018}}</ref>

== Career ==
[[MC Serch]] (Michael Berrin), [[Pete Nice|Prime Minister Pete Nice]] (Peter J. Nash), and [[DJ Richie Rich]] (Richard Lawson) were the three founding members of the group. Richie Rich was a local D.J., while Nice was an English major at [[Columbia University]] and hosted a [[hip hop music|hip hop]] show on Columbia's student radio station, [[WKCR-FM]]. Serch performed at clubs and block parties, and released a single called "Hey Boy" (b/w "Beware of the Death") on independent label Idlers.

The two first performed as '3 the Hard Way', a name referred to in the song "Wordz of Wisdom" but later redubbed themselves '3rd Bass' before recording their first album. Sam Sever, [[Prince Paul (producer)|Prince Paul]], and [[the Bomb Squad]] produced their 1989 debut, ''[[The Cactus Album]]'', a critically acclaimed LP that went gold and contained a minor hit in "The Gas Face."<ref name="AllMusic Cactus">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-cactus-album-mw0000202624 |title=The Cactus Album – 3rd Bass |website=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=September 10, 2016 |last=Swihart |first=Stanton}}</ref> The accompanying video, which featured a bevy of humorous cameo appearances that included a then-unknown [[MF Doom]], [[DJ Subroc]], [[Gilbert Gottfried]], [[Flavor Flav]], [[Salt-n-Pepa]], [[Kid 'N Play]] and [[EPMD]], garnered respectable MTV airplay and the single peaked at #5 on Billboard's [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Top Rap Singles]], though it did not chart on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The video also contained insults aimed at rapper [[MC Hammer]] and record executive [[Lyor Cohen]].

As reported in many interviews, Serch had tried (unsuccessfully) to join up with fellow New Yorkers the [[Beastie Boys]].{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} Upon signing with [[Def Jam]], 3rd Bass inherited their label's feud with the Beasties. ''The Cactus Album'' was released shortly after the Beastie Boys—riding high on the success of ''[[Licensed to Ill]]''—walked out of their contract with the label.<ref name="Year">{{cite web|author=Stereo Williams|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-year-that-changed-hip-hop-forever|title=The Year That Changed Hip-Hop Forever|publisher=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=February 28, 2018|access-date=November 24, 2019}}</ref> In addition to containing multiple potshots directed at [[M.C. Hammer]] (referred to as "M.C. Household Tool" in the liner notes), ''Cactus'' also attacked the Beastie Boys and their defection to [[Capitol Records]] in the song "Sons of 3rd Bass."

3rd Bass's 1991 follow-up, ''[[Derelicts of Dialect]]'', had a new target in fellow white rapper [[Vanilla Ice]], who was the focal point of several tracks on the album, most notably "[[Pop Goes the Weasel (3rd Bass song)|Pop Goes the Weasel]]". The track depicted Ice as a culture thief who watered down the sound of rap in order to pander to a mainstream audience, while depicting 3rd Bass as more respectful of the genre's traditions. Ice was also criticized for his refusal to credit artists whose music he had sampled for his 1990 smash "[[Ice Ice Baby]]." The video featured [[punk rock]] icon [[Henry Rollins]] dressed up as Ice, who received a "beatdown" by 3rd Bass at the end.

Fueled by the heavy backlash against Vanilla Ice at the time of its release, "Pop Goes the Weasel" reached #1 on Billboard's Top Rap Singles chart, gave the group their only Top 30 single (peaking at #29 on the Hot 100), and helped propel the album to [[Music recording sales certification|gold]] status. The track was described by Allmusic as "much-needed damage control in the hip-hop community," in part because it featured Caucasian rappers openly distancing themselves from one of their peers.<ref name="allmusic">[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p50061|pure_url=yes}} 3rd Bass Biography] – Allmusic.com</ref> Vanilla Ice answered back with 'The Wrath' and 'Hit 'em Hard' which he played at concerts in 1992, though the songs were not officially released until 1994.

3rd Bass's final collaboration was the title track to the soundtrack of the 1992 film ''[[Gladiator (1992 film)|Gladiator]]'' before the group called it quits. That same year—three years after ''The Cactus Album''—the Beastie Boys retaliated against 3rd Bass on ''[[Check Your Head]]''; the track "Professor Booty" contained the lyric "dancing around like you think you're [[Janet Jackson]]," which was interpreted as a swipe at Serch's dancing in 3rd Bass's videos.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

== Breakup ==
In 1992, Serch co-wrote and produced several tracks for Detroit rapper [[Boss (rapper)|Boss]]'s only album, ''[[Born Gangstaz]].'' He released a solo record, ''[[Return of the Product]]'', in August of that year, which included the second major label recording of [[Nas]] (credited in the liner notes as "Nasty Nas") and featured the single "Back To The Grill Again." Meanwhile, Nice and Rich teamed up as Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich, and released their only album, ''[[Dust to Dust (Pete Nice and DJ Richie Rich album)|Dust to Dust]]'' in 1993. The leadoff single, "Rat Bastard," contained voice samples from ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' and was rumored to reflect bad blood between the pair and Serch, though it was not confirmed. The follow-up was "Kick the Bobo," which received light airplay on [[MTV]] and [[Black Entertainment Television|BET]] but was unable to become a sizeable hit. Neither Nice nor Serch were able to achieve much popularity on their own after 3rd Bass disbanded.

Around the time of the split, Serch was involved with the production of the movie ''[[Zebrahead (film)|Zebrahead]]''. As recalled by actor [[Michael Rapaport]], Serch originally wanted to star in the film but was unable to secure the role, and ended up producing the film's soundtrack instead. After serving a stint at now-defunct [[Wild Pitch Records]], he founded Serchlite, a record label and publishing company responsible for signing another group of white New York hip-hop artists, [[Non Phixion]] (who broke up in 2006).

3rd Bass reunited for a gig at the birthday party of Andy Hilfiger (brother of [[Tommy Hilfiger]]) in 1998. They also performed at [[Woodstock 1999]], and released a non-charting single, "Hail to the Chief." There had also been talks of a new album entitled ''Ichabod's Cranium'', but any long-term reunion and album plans were ultimately scrapped.

Nice retired from the music business and opened a baseball [[sports memorabilia|memorabilia]] store in [[Cooperstown, New York|Cooperstown]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He published a book, ''Baseball Legends of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery,'' under his real name in 2003,<ref name="arcadia">[http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=arcadia&Product_Code=0738534781&Product_Count=&Category_Code= Arcadia Publishing] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025055442/http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=arcadia&Product_Code=0738534781&Product_Count=&Category_Code= |date=October 25, 2007 }}</ref> in addition to attempting to secure property for an official gravesite of [[Negro league]] players. Serch hosted the [[VH1]] reality TV series ''Ego Trip's [[The White Rapper Show]]''. Nash also produced a documentary about the [[Royal Rooters|Rooters]], with interviews filmed in an old gas station in Cooperstown that he was turning into a museum of baseball fan history stocked with much of the memorabilia he was gathering.<ref name="rtr">[https://web.archive.org/web/20091213102504/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/12/09/nash/index.html Sports Illustrated "From rapper to baseball collector, the wild tale of Peter Nash"]</ref> In 2007 Nice, along with [[Dropkick Murphys]] member Ken Casey, opened ''McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon'', a baseball history-themed sports bar, in Boston in April 2008.<ref name="mcg">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mcgreevysboston.com/ |title=McGreevy's – Official Site |access-date=June 8, 2008 |archive-date=June 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619073853/http://www.mcgreevysboston.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2009 MC Serch was featured on rapper [[Kurious]]'s album ''II'' and music video by [[Amalgam Digital]].<ref name="Kurious">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAJT5E48jn0 Kurious – Benetton ft MC Serch & MF DOOM]</ref>

On April 6, 2013, MC Serch announced on Facebook that 3rd Bass would reunite after over 20 years to tour in celebration of The Cactus Album's 25th anniversary.  However, they only did two shows that year: a reunion show at a club in Brooklyn in July, and a cameo appearance on Labor Day at a festival in Indianapolis.

On November 8, 2024, the group performed together for the first time in 11 years at WBLS' 50th anniversary concert. A 2025 North American tour has been announced.

On August 16 & 17, 2025 3rd Bass reunited to perform at the Beatstock music festival in New York and New Jersey.

== Discography ==
=== Studio albums ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:23em;" | Album details
! scope="col" colspan="5" | Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| [[List of music recording certifications|Certifications]]
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/TLP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229150519/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/TLP|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 29, 2019|title=3rd Bass Chart History|work=[[Billboard 200]]|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B<br />/HH]]<br /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/BLP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229151200/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/BLP|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 29, 2019|title=3rd Bass Chart History|work=[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]]|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AusBubble">{{cite web|url=https://www.bubblingdownunder.com/2022/07/week-commencing-22-july-1991.html | title=Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing July 22, 1991|access-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Recorded Music NZ|NZ]]<br /><ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=3rd+Bass|title=3rd Bass Chart History (Recorded Music NZ)|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK" />
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Cactus Album]]''
|
*Released: November 10, 1989
*Label: [[Def Jam Recordings|Def Jam]]/[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
* Formats: [[CD]], [[LP record|LP]], [[Compact Cassette|Cassette]], [[Music download|digital download]], [[Streaming media|streaming]]
| style="text-align:center;"|55
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|—
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|
*[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold<ref name="RIAA">{{cite certification|region=United States|type=album|artist=3rd Bass|accessdate=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Derelicts of Dialect]]''
|
*Released: June 14, 1991
*Label: Def Jam/Columbia
* Formats: CD, LP, Cassette, digital download, streaming
| style="text-align:center;"|19
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|118
| style="text-align:center;"|—
| style="text-align:center;"|46
|
* RIAA: Gold<ref name="RIAA" />
|-
| colspan="8" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

=== Singles ===
==== As lead artist ====
<!-- ALL SINGLES MUST BE LISTED HERE. ANY SINGLE RELEASED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO RADIO IS CLASSIFIED AS A SINGLE. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE -->

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="7"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| [[List of music recording certifications|Certifications]]
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history |title=3rd Bass – US Hot 100 |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dance Club Songs|US Dance]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/DSI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229150439/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/DSI |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |title=3rd Bass – US Dance Club Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/BSI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229150452/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/BSI |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |title=3rd Bass – US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Hot Rap Songs|US Rap]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/RAP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229150434/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/RAP |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |title=3rd Bass – US Hot Rap Songs |publisher=billboard.com |access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AusBubble"/>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Recorded Music NZ|NZ]]<br /><ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=3rd+Bass|title=3rd Bass Chart History (Recorded Music NZ)|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/29615/3rd-bass/|title=3rd Bass Chart History (UK Singles Chart)|website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]|access-date=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "Steppin' to the A.M."
| 1989
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —{{efn|"Steppin' to the A.M." did not enter the Dance Club Songs, but peaked at number 50 on the [[Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales]].<ref name="DSA">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-bass/chart-history/DSA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229151149/https://www.billboard.com/music/3rd-Bass/chart-history/DSA |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |title=Dance/Electronic Singles Sales |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |accessdate=August 23, 2021}}</ref>}}
|align="center"| 54
|align="center"| 5
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 95
|
|rowspan="4" | ''The Cactus Album''
|-
|-
! scope="row"| "The Gas Face"<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(featuring [[Zev Love X]])</span>
|rowspan="3" | 1990
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 25
|align="center"| 29
|align="center"| 5
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 33
|align="center"| 71
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Brooklyn-Queens"
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 20
|align="center"| 82
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 39
|align="center"| 61
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Product of the Environment (Project Remix)"<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=Fu-Schnickens | date=1992 | title=Heavenly Father | type=track listing | publisher=[[Jive Records]] | id=JIVE T 315}}</ref>
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|
|-
|-
! scope="row"|  "[[Pop Goes the Weasel (3rd Bass song)|Pop Goes the Weasel]]"
| 1991
|align="center"| 29
|align="center"| 28
|align="center"| 26
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 122
|align="center"| 17
|align="center"| 64
|
* RIAA: Gold<ref>{{cite certification|region=United States|type=single|artist=3rd Bass|accessdate=August 23, 2021}}</ref>
|rowspan="2" | ''Derelicts of Dialect''
|-
|-
! scope="row"| "3rd Bass Theme a.k.a. Portrait of the Artist as a Hood"
|rowspan="2" | 1992
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 67
|align="center"| 17
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Gladiator"<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=Fu-Schnickens | date=1992 | title=Heavenly Father | type=track listing | publisher=[[Jive Records]] | id=JIVE T 315}}</ref>
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|
|''[[Gladiator (1992 soundtrack)|Gladiator Soundtrack]]''
|-
! scope="row" |"Brooklyn-Queens (The U.K. Power Mix)"{{efn|"Brooklyn-Queens (The U.K. Power Mix)" was released as a [[Split album|split single]] with "Cake and Eat it Too (Pound Cake Mix)" by [[Nice & Smooth]].}}<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=Nice & Smooth, 3rd Bass | date=November 3, 2018 | title=Cake & Eat It Too (Pound Cake Mix)/Brooklyn-Queens (The U.K. Power Mix) | type=track listing | publisher=[[Universal Music]] | id=UIKY-75056}}</ref>
| 2018
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|align="center"| —
|—
|
| {{N/A|Non-album single}}
|-
| colspan="11" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==== Promotional singles ====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles, showing year released and album name
! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Title
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="1"| Album
|-
! scope="row"| "Hail to the Chief"<ref>{{cite AV media notes | others=Antoinette | date=2000 | title=I Wanna Be Me | type=track listing | publisher=[[Next Plateau Entertainment|Next Plateau Records Inc]] | id=NP50131}}</ref>
| 2000
| {{N/A|Non-album single}}
|-
|}

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p50061|pure_url=yes}} 3rd Bass] at [[AllMusic]]
*[http://www.discogs.com/artist/3rd+Bass 3rd Bass] at [[Discogs]]
{{3rd Bass}}
{{Def Jam Recordings}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:East Coast hip-hop groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]
[[Category:Musical groups from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Jewish hip-hop groups]]
[[Category:Def Jam Recordings artists]]