Onyx (band)
Encyclopedia
Onyx is a hardcore hip hop
group from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. The group consists of Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr
and Sonsee
(formerly Suavé and Sonee Seeza). The late Big DS was also a member, but left after the group's debut album.
influence, unlike their later work. In 1991, Onyx was going to present a demo to Jam Master Jay at Def Jam, but Big DS and Sonee Seeza (then only known as Suavé) were in Connecticut
at the time, so Fredro Starr called up his cousin Sticky Fingaz (who lived in Brooklyn). Once Sticky Fingaz joined the group, the group released Throw Ya Gunz
in 1992.
and were promised an album which became 1993's Bacdafucup
LP. The album met with great commercial success, including heavy airplay on radio and MTV
for the single "Slam
". Onyx also performed with Biohazard
on the tune "Judgment Night", taken from the soundtrack album of the same name
. Onyx also received critical acclaim, winning Soul Train's album of the year.
Big DS left the group during the recording of All We Got Iz Us because he felt he wasn't getting enough time on the microphone. In 1995, Onyx released their second album All We Got Iz Us
. While the album was much less successful commercially, it proved to be a critical success. In the August 2008 issue of VIBE, All We Got Iz Us was listed as the best produced rap album of 1995 and one of twenty albums every fan of hip-hop must own.
The release was followed by another gap in albums, but the members remained in the public eye by appearing in several movies, including Clockers, Sunset Park
(1996), and Dead Presidents
(1995). Both rappers continue to appear in movies and television, appearing on the FX Network on The Shield
and on HBO's The Wire
.
Onyx returned in 1998 with their third album Shut 'Em Down
, which featured appearances from DMX
, Lost Boyz, Raekwon
, Method Man
, Big Pun
, Noreaga
and a then-unknown 50 Cent
. This album found critical as well as commercial success. The album produced two singles "React
" and "Shut 'Em Down
", the latter featuring DMX. After leaving Def Jam, the group returned in 2002 with Bacdafucup Part II
and "Sa'ad Part 4" released on Koch Records
, Followed by the 2003 release Triggernometry
on D3 Entertainment.
In the summer of 2006, Fredro released a project known as Yung Onyx.
In June 2008, Onyx released their debut DVD: "Onyx: 15 Years of Videos, History and Violence". The DVD contains every Onyx video digitally remastered with optional commentary, all solo videos, and over an hour of rare footage all the way back from 1992.
A new Onyx album, titled The Black Rock, was rumored for a 2006/2007 release but did not surface. The album is now scheduled for a release at the end of 2010, with a new title, 100 Mad. Prior to the album release, Onyx released a new project which is called "Cuzo".
In January 2010, Onyx was featured on a song called "Vrijeme je" by Croatian rappers Nered and Stoka.
In April 2010, Onyx was featured on a song called "Запоминай / Zapominay" by Ukrainian rap group ZB aka Западное Братство.it was released on their debut album "Авародз.Глава первая: Все Вместе".
They are to be featured on French rapper Soulkast's album due out in early 2011.
Hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by anger, aggression and...
group from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. The group consists of Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr
Fredro Starr
Fredro Scruggs better known by his stage name Fredro Starr, is an American rapper and actor from South Jamaica, Queens, New York best known as a member of hardcore hip hop group Onyx.-Music career:...
and Sonsee
Sonsee
Tyrone Taylor who was previously known as both Suavé and Sonny Seeza, is an American hardcore rapper from Brooklyn, New York and an original member of the Hardcore rap group Onyx. He is arguably the least well-known member of the group, in comparison to Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr, who have...
(formerly Suavé and Sonee Seeza). The late Big DS was also a member, but left after the group's debut album.
Early career
The group was formed in 1988 and Onyx released its first 12" single, "Ah, And We Do It Like This", in 1990. The song revealed a jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
influence, unlike their later work. In 1991, Onyx was going to present a demo to Jam Master Jay at Def Jam, but Big DS and Sonee Seeza (then only known as Suavé) were in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
at the time, so Fredro Starr called up his cousin Sticky Fingaz (who lived in Brooklyn). Once Sticky Fingaz joined the group, the group released Throw Ya Gunz
Throw Ya Gunz
"Throw Ya Gunz" was the first single released from Onyx's debut album, Bacdafucup. Produced by Chyskillz, "Throw Ya Gunz" was a success and made it to four Billboard charts, including #1 on the Hot Rap Singles. The song achieved even greater success in the UK, where it peaked at #34 on the UK Top...
in 1992.
Career
After the track Onyx inked a deal with Def JamDef Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
and were promised an album which became 1993's Bacdafucup
Bacdafucup
Bacdafucup is the debut album from hardcore rap group Onyx. The album featured their breakout single, "Slam", which received heavy airplay on both radio and television , leading the song to reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bacdafucup was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 25, 1993...
LP. The album met with great commercial success, including heavy airplay on radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
for the single "Slam
Slam (Onyx song)
"Slam" was the second single released from Onyx's debut album, Bacdafucup. Released on May 11, 1993 as the album's lead single, "Slam" was Onyx's breakthrough single, making it to 4 on the US Billboard 100 and was the group's second straight single to make it to 1 on the Rap charts.The official...
". Onyx also performed with Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
on the tune "Judgment Night", taken from the soundtrack album of the same name
Judgment Night (soundtrack)
Judgment Night is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released on September 14, 1993 through Epic Records and was produced by many of the album's performers. Every song on the soundtrack was a collaboration between hip-hop artists and rock / metal artists...
. Onyx also received critical acclaim, winning Soul Train's album of the year.
Big DS left the group during the recording of All We Got Iz Us because he felt he wasn't getting enough time on the microphone. In 1995, Onyx released their second album All We Got Iz Us
All We Got Iz Us
All We Got Iz Us is the second album from hardcore rap group Onyx. It is widely considered to be a great follow up to their classic Bacdafucup, with many fans actually citing it as the best album Onyx made. It reached gold sales status despite having no radio-friendly tracks on the album...
. While the album was much less successful commercially, it proved to be a critical success. In the August 2008 issue of VIBE, All We Got Iz Us was listed as the best produced rap album of 1995 and one of twenty albums every fan of hip-hop must own.
The release was followed by another gap in albums, but the members remained in the public eye by appearing in several movies, including Clockers, Sunset Park
Sunset Park (film)
Sunset Park is a 1996 basketball film. It stars Rhea Perlman as the head coach of a high school boy's basketball team from the Sunset Park neighborhood in New York City. The film also stars rapper Fredro Starr and an early film appearance from Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard...
(1996), and Dead Presidents
Dead Presidents
Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film written by Michael Henry Brown and also written, produced and directed by the Hughes brothers , starring Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, Freddy Rodriguez, N'Bushe Wright and Bokeem Woodbine...
(1995). Both rappers continue to appear in movies and television, appearing on the FX Network on The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
and on HBO's The Wire
The Wire (TV series)
The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
.
Onyx returned in 1998 with their third album Shut 'Em Down
Shut 'Em Down
Shut 'Em Down is the third album from rap group Onyx. The album marked the group's highest debut on the Billboard 200, peaking at #10. Two singles were released from the album, "React", which features the very first major label appearance of 50 Cent and "Shut 'Em Down, featuring DMX...
, which featured appearances from DMX
DMX (rapper)
Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
, Lost Boyz, Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
, Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
, Noreaga
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
and a then-unknown 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
. This album found critical as well as commercial success. The album produced two singles "React
React (song)
"React" was the lead single released from Onyx's third album, Shut 'Em Down. It featured Onyx affiliates X-1, Bonifucco and Still Livin' and a then unknown 50 Cent in his first official appearance on a song. React was released on June 2, 1998 through Def Jam Recordings and was produced by Bud'da...
" and "Shut 'Em Down
Shut 'Em Down (Onyx song)
"Shut 'Em Down" was the final single released from Onyx's third album, Shut 'Em Down. The song featured labelmate DMX and was the group's final single to reach it to the Billboard charts, peaking at 61 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks....
", the latter featuring DMX. After leaving Def Jam, the group returned in 2002 with Bacdafucup Part II
Bacdafucup Part II
Bacdafucup Part II is the fourth album from rap group Onyx.Due to a mistake on Bacdafucup Part II, Slam Harder was accidentally left censored...
and "Sa'ad Part 4" released on Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
, Followed by the 2003 release Triggernometry
Triggernometry
Triggernometry is the fifth album from rap group Onyx and was put out on D3 Entertainment.-Track listing:#"Triggernometry Intro" – 0:58#"Gun Clap Music" – 4:08#"Stick Up" – 0:27#"JMJ" – 4:10#"Def Scams" – 0:39...
on D3 Entertainment.
Later career
There has been a low-level argument between Onyx member Fredro Starr and 50 Cent. According to the Rap News Network, 50 Cent started a confrontation with Fredro Starr at the 2003 Vibe Awards. In a 2003 interview Fredro Starr explained, "50 Cent basically started shit with me, started a scuffle, and a bodyguard broke us up. He's a punk. He's disrespectful to Jam Master Jay ever since he passed". In an interview with the Source magazine, Fredro Starr said that 50 Cent had been disrespectful towards the Onyx rap group even though Onyx had given him his first breakthrough on a song called "React" from the 1998 album, Shut 'Em Down.In the summer of 2006, Fredro released a project known as Yung Onyx.
In June 2008, Onyx released their debut DVD: "Onyx: 15 Years of Videos, History and Violence". The DVD contains every Onyx video digitally remastered with optional commentary, all solo videos, and over an hour of rare footage all the way back from 1992.
A new Onyx album, titled The Black Rock, was rumored for a 2006/2007 release but did not surface. The album is now scheduled for a release at the end of 2010, with a new title, 100 Mad. Prior to the album release, Onyx released a new project which is called "Cuzo".
In January 2010, Onyx was featured on a song called "Vrijeme je" by Croatian rappers Nered and Stoka.
In April 2010, Onyx was featured on a song called "Запоминай / Zapominay" by Ukrainian rap group ZB aka Западное Братство.it was released on their debut album "Авародз.Глава первая: Все Вместе".
They are to be featured on French rapper Soulkast's album due out in early 2011.
Discography
- BacdafucupBacdafucupBacdafucup is the debut album from hardcore rap group Onyx. The album featured their breakout single, "Slam", which received heavy airplay on both radio and television , leading the song to reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bacdafucup was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 25, 1993...
(1993) - All We Got Iz UsAll We Got Iz UsAll We Got Iz Us is the second album from hardcore rap group Onyx. It is widely considered to be a great follow up to their classic Bacdafucup, with many fans actually citing it as the best album Onyx made. It reached gold sales status despite having no radio-friendly tracks on the album...
(1995) - Shut 'Em DownShut 'Em DownShut 'Em Down is the third album from rap group Onyx. The album marked the group's highest debut on the Billboard 200, peaking at #10. Two singles were released from the album, "React", which features the very first major label appearance of 50 Cent and "Shut 'Em Down, featuring DMX...
(1998) - Bacdafucup Part IIBacdafucup Part IIBacdafucup Part II is the fourth album from rap group Onyx.Due to a mistake on Bacdafucup Part II, Slam Harder was accidentally left censored...
(2002) - TriggernometryTriggernometryTriggernometry is the fifth album from rap group Onyx and was put out on D3 Entertainment.-Track listing:#"Triggernometry Intro" – 0:58#"Gun Clap Music" – 4:08#"Stick Up" – 0:27#"JMJ" – 4:10#"Def Scams" – 0:39...
(2003) - Cold Case Files: Murda InvestigationCold Case Files (album)Cold Case Files is a compilation album released by rap group, Onyx. It was released on August 19, 2008 through the Iceman Music Group and contained unreleased tracks from the group's first three albums, Bacdafucup, All We Got Iz Us and Shut 'Em Down. Deceased member, Big DS and affiliate, X-1 also...
(2008)