(Onyx) words On Jam Master Jay Documentary

Onyx. The hip-hop act who named themselves after a black stone. Clever, but just who are the bald-heads with knives?

In 1989, Onyx formed out of Queens, NY; consisting of Fredro Starr, Sonee Seeza (then known only as Suave), and Big DS. They released their first single under Profile records, “Ah, and We Do It Like This” to not much success. Two years later is when fate struck.

Onyx was going to demo off some tracks for Run DMC front man, Jam Master Jay, but there was a small problem. Big DS and Sonee Seeza were in CT at the time. Fredro Starr called up his cousin Sticky Fingaz who then worked at a barber shop but was always rhyming. Sticky Fingaz hooked up Fredro and did a demo to present to Jam Master Jay and he instantly loved the Madface sound. When presenting the tape to Def Jam, and Onyx returned to them, the first question was “Where’s the guy with the deep, raspy voice?”. Of course they were referring to the cross-eyed slightly insane member, Sticky Fingaz. The rest was history.

Onyx inked a deal at Def Jam for an EP after “Throw Ya Gunz” was released. The song was such a hit that Onyx was promised an album, and in 1993, they delivered “Bacdafucup” to the hip-hop world. Incredible hits such as “Slam”, “Throw Ya Gunz”, “Shifftee”, and of course the “Slam” collaboration with Biohazard brought Onyx to huge heights of success. “Bacdafucup” quickly climbed the hip hop charts. “Slam” was the #5 single of the entire year and the album went on to quickly sell 2 million copies. Onyx also had higher scaled recognition, winning Soul Train’s rap album of the year award and at the same show keeping underground recognition with their raunchy live performance usually consisting of carrying .45’s and bullet proof vests.

Nothing was stopping the bald-heads in 1993. The rap group who were notorious for bringing rap to the mosh pit with their heavy metal-esque antics, bloody sad-faced logo only a maniac (or death metal band for that matter) could concoct, and rapid gun fire rhymes and beats, it was no wonder why they blew up in the first place. And Onyx were certainly living up to that hardcore image when Sticky Fingaz was arrested for assault on a flight and Onyx were denied access to perform half time at a football game when the NAACP deemed them a disgrace to blacks. Lyrical skill, production skill, and being one of the hardest groups of that time was their claim to fame.