Video games are fucking awesome. This is a fact that will not be disputed here on BBR. My post today takes you specifically ten years ago, where a teenaged shoe-in bought his precursor to the iPod, his very first Playstation Portable with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories bundled with it. I distinctly remember enjoying the game's radio stations very much as I was blowing up my path through the game's missions, which were set in 1998. One of the stations was The Liberty Jam, an East Coast hip hop station hosted by DJ Clue. After the talk station, Liberty City Free Radio, this was my favorite station as I spent hours of my actual life grinding its selection of 90s classics into my unwitting brain as I carried my PSP around wherever I went. Shook Ones, Incarcerated Scarfaces and Do What Ya Feel were among its many highlights. Anyway, the most included artists, whether via guest appearances or their own shit were the Wu, (whom I've already heard of at this point) the LOX & Big Punisher (both of whom I've been introduced to by this game). I remember being really impressed with Pun. (Who wouldn't be, really?)
One of the songs he was included in was the remix to Shut 'Em Down by crazy people Onyx, on which he was joined by Noreaga (whom I don't really care for outside of The War Report.) As I've previously stated, listening to this song marks the precise point where I realized that Sticky Fingaz was a member of Onyx. Because, as I've also said before, I didn't make the connection between hearing him on Throw Ya Gunz for the first time on Def Jam Vendetta (even though Sticky clearly states his name on the goddamn song, which says enough about my attention to lyrics at the time.) and being introduced to his crazy ass on its sequel, Def Jam: Fight For NY. (His secondary antagonist character was awesome.) Which brings me to the end of story time and to my next point.
Many contributions in as many art forms connected with us humans over time. It is a shame, however, that we rank contributions to this art form so fervently that we forget a lot of people and their hard work while other genres simply appreciate what's been handed to them. So much so that we start seeing a lot of stupid shit. For example, I have never heard of Roy Ayers starting a beef with Lonnie Liston Smith because some fan ranked the latter higher than him in their "top 5 best jazz pianists of all time". Even reading that sentence is ridiculous, right? People in hip hop chalk it up to it in essence being a confrontational art, which is some premium made bullshit. So we get so caught up in our comparisons of hip hop artists that we lose sight of the pieces presented to us for observation. These pieces always connect very deeply with many people, and I'm pretty confident in saying that Onyx' All We Got Iz Us is one of those pieces and proud to say that it connected with me. On paper alone, Onyx pulled a goddamn forest of rabbits out of their hats with that album, and deserve each and every complement they got for producing that masterpiece. In reality, though, they shut the critics up with their interesting take on concept albums, where they played characters so determinedly evil that the album could be considered a conscious album and nobody would object, at all. Everyone who heard the friggin' thing recognized why immediately. Also, the album saw the emergence of Agallah, the producer, with some of the grimmest yet most melodic beats in hip hop history, all under veteran DJ and executive producer Jam Master Jay's close tutelage. Of course, this approach certainly didn't do them any favors commercially, which sent Def Jam into a frenzy, trying to find a way to make these loons a successful act again.
Meanwhile, Onyx were already trying to establish themselves as an influential force in the rap game by expanding their roster to include groups like All City and Gang Green, helping the former in signing a deal with MCA Records, who released the duo's lone album Metropolis Gold (on which two songs were produced by Agallah) while the latter simply released a single (also produced by Agallah, which resulted in a song that would've fit perfectly on All We Got Iz Us). Now, for that nitpicker out there who questions the reason my last post came before this one, even though Shut 'Em Down was released first: 1. It's my fucking blog. 2. It's my fucking blog. and 3. Metropolis Gold was promoted first, in 1995. Oh, and did I mention it was my fucking blog?
Important to note, Gang Green's single wasn't as useless as many people perceived. Firstly, It's a kickass song that was issued a kickass remix using the same beat which featured all three members on Onyx rapping alongside their musical progeny. Secondly, this small connection led to the trio briefly becoming a quartet again after co-founder Big DS left the group to pursue a solo venture, which unfortunately led to his untimely demise from cancer. See, Gang Green unofficially & quietly split after their single, which left two of its members, Whosane & the late X1 (who were Fredro & Sticky's real-life brothers respectively), unemployed. Whosane reportedly became a visual designer, while X1, for all intents and purposes, became Onyx's new fourth member. He appears on nine songs, including three singles, from the album. He even appears on the cover. Fuck it, he's Onyx' new fourth member.
In a very sad & very sudden series of events, though, X1, whose real name is Bruce Sandlin, mysteriously lost his life in Las Vegas in 2007. RIP.
So after Metropolis Gold was released to crickets, even though it tried to appeal to as many hip hop tastes as possible. The assholes-that-be at Def Jam felt like it was time for the home team to represent. And represent their way. So, because they're always right, Def Jam decided that the approach taken on All We Got Iz Us was not good for business. How do they solve this problem? With dollar signs in their eyes, of course. Since Bacdafucup made the most money, Def Jam made sure Onyx went back to a similar formula. So JMJ's creative input was all but deleted and Def Jam made sure that Agallah didn't come nowhere near the boards, two moves that make absolutely no sense. They replaced Agallah with the standard-issue production of the time, which included turntable Da Vinci DJ Scratch, Def Jam in-house producer Self, Keith Horne (mostly known for collaborating with Janet Jackson as K-Love at this point), Bud'da of Bow Down fame and Latif King, whose production pulled off what DJ Premier's & Pete Rock's couldn't do together: it elevated Metropolis Gold into an OK album after Amen-Ra of Diddy's jolly group of Hitmen & DJ Clark Kent nearly wrecked any chance Meg & Greg had at having an interesting album. They also included the group with a few other acts like DMX, Def Squad & a pre-'kicked to the curb for the second time' Cormega for the Survival Of The Illest tour, which, for some reason, made sure it performed at the grimiest venues it came across. This act ensured that the album sounded very similar to the other albums in production value, which agreed nicely with Def Jam's game plan.
I'm sure you skipped all that. So, is the album any good?
1. IT WAS ONYX (SKIT)
Dear Lord...
2. RAZE IT UP
And we're off. Sticky handles chorus duties admirably, but a version unreleased until 2012 featured Fredro on the hook, and I have to say that after hearing both, Fredro's take is infinitely better, since he's the best Onyx member to handle workman duties but Sticky has a better verse here, though. Anyhow, all three members sound pretty at home over this Keith Horne instrumental that brings Def Jam's vision to the group without insulting their past work. Nice.
3. STREET NIGGUZ
I have a confession to make: No matter how many crappy beats he makes, DJ Scratch can do no wrong in my eyes. Since he hooked up with EPMD, one of my absolute favorite groups of all friggin' time, he's been tearing up stages with his performances, an undisputed fact that earned him the respect of many hip hop fans till some even started calling him 'The King Of DJs' (which I don't agree with, as there is NO King of DJs in my book, but whatever.) Anyways, as a producer, he's alright. His beats range from downright amazing to downright barf. This one, in particular, sounds merely OK. Which is enough for our quartet, as their verses compliment each other nicely. This is X1's debut as a member of Onyx, in case the former sentence confused you. This wasn't as good as the preceding track but it wasn't bad.
4. SHUT 'EM DOWN (FEATURING DMX)
This track is an official collaboration between two of the headlining acts of the Survival Of The Illest tour, and as such, it is pretty fucking awesome. Self brings us one of his two best beats ever, the hook is a fucking home run, every member of Onyx plays to his strengths impressively and DMX proves he's quite the versatile cat. I'll be honest, this is one of my favorite DMX tracks, simply because of how much of a team player he is here. Highlights include Sticky throwing the mic after finishing his verse and Sonsee flowing slower than the rest. This song still refuses to leave my head.
5. BROKE WILLIES
Our quartet utilize the second Keith Horne smash to parody the genre's mainstream bullcrap at the time. (Which, as hard as it is to believe now, sucked back then just as much as it does in current times. Hell, it always sucked so keep it moving.). The song structure comprises of brothers Sticky & X1 on the hook, with the verses divided into tag team #1 Fredro & X1 and tag team #2 Sticky & Sonsee, with all parties involved throwing verses to-and-fro at the end. This was a brilliant one-two after the lead single. Loving this album so far.
6. FOR NOTHIN' (SKIT)
At this point in 98, Def Jam have perfected being killjoys in album sequencing. Exhibit A.
7. ROB & VIC (FEATURING CHOCOLATE)
Useless intro aside, the beat on this song evokes the feeling that the group is going back to its vibe on All We Got Iz Us, but actually this and a couple of other songs on this album are the earliest precursors to Sticky's monumental debut, Black Trash. I highly doubt that this beat was the one Chocolate recorded his hook over, since a version recorded in 1996 & released in 2012, which is called Love Of Money 96, has a beat more in tune with the hook, which sounds horribly off-key on this one. The back and forth between brothers Sticky and X1 is actually pretty convincing, even though I prefer X1's delivery on the previous version because he sounded more desperate, which fits the overall theme. Still, this was nice.
8. FACE DOWN
This track is one of the two most infuriating tracks on this album, and it's not for the reason you think. You see, the track's beat, produced by Self, is the absolute worst beat on the entire album, which would be fine and dandy with me if the lyrics were equally bad, as I can simply skip the shit. Problem is, the lyrics are among the very best on the album, especially on Sticky's part. This is the kind of boasts n bullshit that all of Onyx thrive on. This irritation has a sequel. Moving on.
9. COPS (SKIT)
I'll go eat something...
10. CONSPIRACY (FEATURING CLAY THE RAIDER)
Apparently the previous skit was to lead into this song, featuring Clay The Nobody. DJ Scratch returns to provide us one of his meh beats, on which Fredro is stuck with hook duties (one of his worst hooks at that) and replaced by Clay The Who Gives A Fuck, whom I swear sounds like someone just beat his ass for his lunch money. I understand he's "fam n'alldat", Onyx, but if he doesn't compliment you well enough, don't put him on the fucking song. Sonsee delivers another solid verse and Sticky tries his damnedest to inject life into the song but Fredro ends it with a verse that's not enough to pick up his fuckup on the hook. Yet another misfire.
11. BLACK DUST
I told you this irritation has a sequel. Why? Because DJ Scratch's final beat of the evening is an absolute banger. By far, his best on the album. And Onyx present us with the worst fucking outing they've released up to that point, across all three albums. The lyrics, especially Fredro's, are a fucking earsore and their delivery, especially Fredro's, is even worse. Most annoying of all, this beat was fucking PERFECT for Face Down's lyrics. Someone better get to making a mashup that rectifies this abomination.
12. ONE NATION (SKIT)
If only the caller could see Onyx now...
13. REACT (FEATURING 50 CENT, BONIFUCCO & STILL LIVIN')
Lady and/or gentleman, I present to you the debut of Mr. Get Rich Or Die Trying himself. And I'm very pleased to say: Aside from him being a brilliant businessman and his work on Hate It Or Love It by current (/former?) enemy The Game, the motherfucker has not contributed one thing to the growth of the art form. Onyx, you get minus points for his inclusion. To be fair, he debuted on the perfect beat for him, as it sounds exactly like the crap he's used to spitting on now. Still Livin' sets us off with his pigshit hook, while a certain organism called a Bonifucco spits the equally repulsive first verse, thereby providing the worst momentum possible for this shit. Onyx (including X1) try to inject the song with some sparks of life, only for Fiddy to kill anything interesting about the song with his boring-as-fuck punchlines. Bud'da, wherever you are, I hope this reaches you: Fuck your production here. How can you go from producing a classic like Bow Down to this bile? I proudly deleted this shit off my playlist and anybody who reads this should do the same.
14. VERONICA
After that camel ass of a song, anything would sound like a fucking improvement. Good thing that this song aspires to continue Sticky's evolution as a storyteller, and damn well succeeds in doing so. Fredro & Sonsee are also up to task as they play along pretty damn nicely over Self's appropriate beat. I loved the fact that our protagonists all die at the end, which is a refreshing change of pace from the constant superthug imagery portrayed by other rappers past and present. A step back in the right direction.
15. FUCK DAT (FEATURING ALL CITY & BUBBA SMITH)
Fredro seems a bit angry at something as he introduces this weed carrier-infested posse cut, which weirdly features only Sticky Fingaz from the home team. Self's instrumental is simply there to move things along, and everyone sounds bored spitting on this. The end result is meh.
16. GHETTO STARZ (FEATURING MR. CHEEKS)
Bud'da's back. Groan. Sure enough, he inspires Onyx to a contribution that is only better than Black Dust. At-the-time critical darling Mr. Cheeks of Lost Boyz fame lost a lot of credit for his association with this piece of manure. I'm sure he greatly regrets that now. (Not really. I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember recording this shit, anyway.)
17. TAKE THAT
For someone who used to be called K-Love, this Keith Horne dude's beats have so far fit Onyx' vibe like a glove. This one is no exception. Too bad it only lasts for a single Sticky Fingaz verse, which seems to end prematurely even when the hook (which is an interpolation of Run's hook on Sucker MC's) is included. I used to wish that there was a full version that involved all members of Onyx and, thankfully, one was recorded at the same time that fulfills my expectations nicely. Even though it wasn't released until friggin' 2012. Still, this short version is alright. Actually, the way it ended was kind of funny, even if I only laughed once.
18. THE WORST (FEATURING RAEKWON, METHOD MAN & KILLA SIN)
Story time, boy and/or girl. There was this movie called Ride. (Not the crappy 2014 Helen Hunt vehicle, the crappy 1998 Malik Yoba vehicle.) It featured Fredro, Sticky and the debut of Cedric the Entertainer. That's all you need to know about this piece of shit flick. Its soundtrack, though, had a track that was credited to Onyx and the Wu-Tang Clan. So, of course, only Raekwon and Method Man show up to the party, along with Killa Sin from Killarmy (pronounced Killa Army), whom I've never heard of up until that point. The end result? Everyone played their part extremely well on this beautifully grimy Latif King beat. Yet, I'm not fully satisfied with X1's showing here. I feel he should've sat this one out and give Fredro breathing space to spit alongside the Chef, even if the Chef's subject matter isn't up to standard. Actually, I honestly feel Sonsee stole the show here. Best song on the album, so far. However, Def Jam made the very irritating decision to join The Worst with another track and promote the second track as a "hidden" one, even when its inclusion is in plain sight on the goddamn tracklisting. To add to the irritation, they're split by the very fucking long silence usually associated with hidden tracks.
19. OVERSHINE (FEATURING ALL CITY)
The "hidden" track. Now, this beat is more like what I expected from a dude named K-Love. Not to say it's bad, or anything. In fact, Keith Horne instrumental's really a grower, since I originally hated it. For their part, Onyx deliver lyrics that are as uplifting as a group like Onyx can be: amid threats galore, promises to erase your essence from existence, the usual. In particular, I thought Fredro delivered the one line that I still remember after the song's finished, even though his verse was the worst out of all three: "If you can count your money, you ain't got none!" This wasn't bad.
20. SHUT 'EM DOWN (REMIX) (FEATURING NOREAGA & BIG PUNISHER)
The track that truly sparked my interest in Onyx, since it's the second track I ever heard from them after Throw Ya Gunz. Self tweaked his original beat to great effect, and Fredro delivers a hook that my untrained ear found good enough to repeat for hours in my work as a teenaged radio news announcer mid-breaks. Of course, not all good things last, as Noreaga, fresh off the "success" of his collaboration with The Firm's Nas & Nature on Blood Money Part 2 (Which was all kinds of boring. Go ahead. Massacre me in the comments. I don't give a fuck.) and on the cusp of gold-status success with his debut. And, let me tell you, someone should've shat in the breakfast of the dude who suggested that P.A.P.I. should go first, because he brings the song to a screeching halt with his unnervingly bad flow. Luckily, Sonsee AND Fredro deliver full back-to-back verses that save the song, even with Fredro starting a particularly nasty habit that would come back to bite him in the ass later by spinning his interpretation of Big Punisher's hook from I'm Not A Player. After the hook, Big Punisher in the flesh delivers one of his best ever verses, in my opinion, with the line "I'm moving past you even when I use the bathroom." still bringing me to chuckles. Ultimately, though, it's Sticky's verse that I remember the most, especially when he said that he told ODB (RIP) to "shut down the Grammys." A line that, according to an interview with Sticky easily found on Youtube, was actually true. Anyways, his punchlines grabbed me by the throat and emptied my pockets then beat me in the head with a spiked bat. Another line: "Fuck a royalty, I'mma hold up Russell for ransom!" Friggin' classic!
FINAL THOUGHTS: I honestly thought I'd hate this album much more than I did after reviewing it, but I'm at another fucking crossroads. Don't get me wrong, this is by far the worst Onyx album of the 90s. But many songs on here are abso-goddamn-lutely essential Onyx music. However, the potential that this album had, which will be more apparent in later posts about the group (yes, there's more), was so much more than what we were given here. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the songs Face Down and Black Dust, as both had negatives that significantly dragged down their positives. Beatwise, Keith Horne aka K-Love was the most consistent producer on the album. Self would be right up there with him if it weren't for that Face Down beat. DJ Scratch was 2 out of 3, Bud'da should've called in sick and Latif King fucking brought his A-game with the lone credit he was given. With this album, Onyx lyrically show their first signs of fatigue, as a result of constant going to church, no doubt. I mean, seriously, you were obviously a very talented crew, so why the fuck did you waste the opportunity to focus?! That's how infuriating the mistakes are on here. Nevertheless, when Onyx are on, they're ON. Fredro & Sonsee continue proving that they can hang with the best of them on the mic, while Sticky discovers a new knack for storytelling that will play a huge part in his evolution as an artist. New fourth member, the late X1, fits in perfectly in many of the good songs. And the skits suck, as usual. So, all in all, this was a very decent album that could've been a classic. Once again, RIP Big DS & X1.
WORTH IT?
I'd say yes, but definitely not for the purists out there who nitpick every single aspect of an album presented to them. Try checking a good track and a bad track back to back. If you like what you get, then you'll like the rest of the album. If the bad is too repulsive, steer clear from it, then.
TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN
VISSI D'ARTE
Off Def Jam's bullshit attempt to flex their artistic control, 1997's The Rapsody: Overture. This album was so much a failure in most aspects that it was only released in Europe and Japan. (I swear, Japan got all the good versions of hip hop releases back in the day. Lucky bastards.) It's almost as if the album was purposefully issued to fuck over all artists involved, as there was initially no way that one song on this album would be any good. Two songs by Onyx and Redman, however, broke that wall and became critical hip hop gold. Onyx' was so much better than Redman's, though, it wasn't even funny. I mean, who would've thought that Onyx, of all the hip hop acts in America at the time, would mesh the best with classical music? But our trio make it work splendidly. I personally feel that ever since All We Got Iz Us, Onyx did the best post-apocalyptic hip hop of the mainstream. Yes, even better than Busta Rhymes' first 4 albums & Mef's Tical 2000. This song is a good continuation of that. To top it all off, all three members fucking body their parts, even Fredro who chose to spit in an old-school flow. However, there's no fucking contest that Sonsee's double time flow stole the fucking cake, even if he and Fredro sound like they gave up mic time for Sticky's opening verse. This track is easy to find and it's friggin' awesome.
Disagree? Questions? Comments? Leave them below.
If you're still interested in reading about Onyx, go ahead.
One of the songs he was included in was the remix to Shut 'Em Down by crazy people Onyx, on which he was joined by Noreaga (whom I don't really care for outside of The War Report.) As I've previously stated, listening to this song marks the precise point where I realized that Sticky Fingaz was a member of Onyx. Because, as I've also said before, I didn't make the connection between hearing him on Throw Ya Gunz for the first time on Def Jam Vendetta (even though Sticky clearly states his name on the goddamn song, which says enough about my attention to lyrics at the time.) and being introduced to his crazy ass on its sequel, Def Jam: Fight For NY. (His secondary antagonist character was awesome.) Which brings me to the end of story time and to my next point.
Many contributions in as many art forms connected with us humans over time. It is a shame, however, that we rank contributions to this art form so fervently that we forget a lot of people and their hard work while other genres simply appreciate what's been handed to them. So much so that we start seeing a lot of stupid shit. For example, I have never heard of Roy Ayers starting a beef with Lonnie Liston Smith because some fan ranked the latter higher than him in their "top 5 best jazz pianists of all time". Even reading that sentence is ridiculous, right? People in hip hop chalk it up to it in essence being a confrontational art, which is some premium made bullshit. So we get so caught up in our comparisons of hip hop artists that we lose sight of the pieces presented to us for observation. These pieces always connect very deeply with many people, and I'm pretty confident in saying that Onyx' All We Got Iz Us is one of those pieces and proud to say that it connected with me. On paper alone, Onyx pulled a goddamn forest of rabbits out of their hats with that album, and deserve each and every complement they got for producing that masterpiece. In reality, though, they shut the critics up with their interesting take on concept albums, where they played characters so determinedly evil that the album could be considered a conscious album and nobody would object, at all. Everyone who heard the friggin' thing recognized why immediately. Also, the album saw the emergence of Agallah, the producer, with some of the grimmest yet most melodic beats in hip hop history, all under veteran DJ and executive producer Jam Master Jay's close tutelage. Of course, this approach certainly didn't do them any favors commercially, which sent Def Jam into a frenzy, trying to find a way to make these loons a successful act again.
Meanwhile, Onyx were already trying to establish themselves as an influential force in the rap game by expanding their roster to include groups like All City and Gang Green, helping the former in signing a deal with MCA Records, who released the duo's lone album Metropolis Gold (on which two songs were produced by Agallah) while the latter simply released a single (also produced by Agallah, which resulted in a song that would've fit perfectly on All We Got Iz Us). Now, for that nitpicker out there who questions the reason my last post came before this one, even though Shut 'Em Down was released first: 1. It's my fucking blog. 2. It's my fucking blog. and 3. Metropolis Gold was promoted first, in 1995. Oh, and did I mention it was my fucking blog?
Important to note, Gang Green's single wasn't as useless as many people perceived. Firstly, It's a kickass song that was issued a kickass remix using the same beat which featured all three members on Onyx rapping alongside their musical progeny. Secondly, this small connection led to the trio briefly becoming a quartet again after co-founder Big DS left the group to pursue a solo venture, which unfortunately led to his untimely demise from cancer. See, Gang Green unofficially & quietly split after their single, which left two of its members, Whosane & the late X1 (who were Fredro & Sticky's real-life brothers respectively), unemployed. Whosane reportedly became a visual designer, while X1, for all intents and purposes, became Onyx's new fourth member. He appears on nine songs, including three singles, from the album. He even appears on the cover. Fuck it, he's Onyx' new fourth member.
In a very sad & very sudden series of events, though, X1, whose real name is Bruce Sandlin, mysteriously lost his life in Las Vegas in 2007. RIP.
So after Metropolis Gold was released to crickets, even though it tried to appeal to as many hip hop tastes as possible. The assholes-that-be at Def Jam felt like it was time for the home team to represent. And represent their way. So, because they're always right, Def Jam decided that the approach taken on All We Got Iz Us was not good for business. How do they solve this problem? With dollar signs in their eyes, of course. Since Bacdafucup made the most money, Def Jam made sure Onyx went back to a similar formula. So JMJ's creative input was all but deleted and Def Jam made sure that Agallah didn't come nowhere near the boards, two moves that make absolutely no sense. They replaced Agallah with the standard-issue production of the time, which included turntable Da Vinci DJ Scratch, Def Jam in-house producer Self, Keith Horne (mostly known for collaborating with Janet Jackson as K-Love at this point), Bud'da of Bow Down fame and Latif King, whose production pulled off what DJ Premier's & Pete Rock's couldn't do together: it elevated Metropolis Gold into an OK album after Amen-Ra of Diddy's jolly group of Hitmen & DJ Clark Kent nearly wrecked any chance Meg & Greg had at having an interesting album. They also included the group with a few other acts like DMX, Def Squad & a pre-'kicked to the curb for the second time' Cormega for the Survival Of The Illest tour, which, for some reason, made sure it performed at the grimiest venues it came across. This act ensured that the album sounded very similar to the other albums in production value, which agreed nicely with Def Jam's game plan.
I'm sure you skipped all that. So, is the album any good?
1. IT WAS ONYX (SKIT)
Dear Lord...
2. RAZE IT UP
And we're off. Sticky handles chorus duties admirably, but a version unreleased until 2012 featured Fredro on the hook, and I have to say that after hearing both, Fredro's take is infinitely better, since he's the best Onyx member to handle workman duties but Sticky has a better verse here, though. Anyhow, all three members sound pretty at home over this Keith Horne instrumental that brings Def Jam's vision to the group without insulting their past work. Nice.
3. STREET NIGGUZ
I have a confession to make: No matter how many crappy beats he makes, DJ Scratch can do no wrong in my eyes. Since he hooked up with EPMD, one of my absolute favorite groups of all friggin' time, he's been tearing up stages with his performances, an undisputed fact that earned him the respect of many hip hop fans till some even started calling him 'The King Of DJs' (which I don't agree with, as there is NO King of DJs in my book, but whatever.) Anyways, as a producer, he's alright. His beats range from downright amazing to downright barf. This one, in particular, sounds merely OK. Which is enough for our quartet, as their verses compliment each other nicely. This is X1's debut as a member of Onyx, in case the former sentence confused you. This wasn't as good as the preceding track but it wasn't bad.
4. SHUT 'EM DOWN (FEATURING DMX)
This track is an official collaboration between two of the headlining acts of the Survival Of The Illest tour, and as such, it is pretty fucking awesome. Self brings us one of his two best beats ever, the hook is a fucking home run, every member of Onyx plays to his strengths impressively and DMX proves he's quite the versatile cat. I'll be honest, this is one of my favorite DMX tracks, simply because of how much of a team player he is here. Highlights include Sticky throwing the mic after finishing his verse and Sonsee flowing slower than the rest. This song still refuses to leave my head.
5. BROKE WILLIES
Our quartet utilize the second Keith Horne smash to parody the genre's mainstream bullcrap at the time. (Which, as hard as it is to believe now, sucked back then just as much as it does in current times. Hell, it always sucked so keep it moving.). The song structure comprises of brothers Sticky & X1 on the hook, with the verses divided into tag team #1 Fredro & X1 and tag team #2 Sticky & Sonsee, with all parties involved throwing verses to-and-fro at the end. This was a brilliant one-two after the lead single. Loving this album so far.
6. FOR NOTHIN' (SKIT)
At this point in 98, Def Jam have perfected being killjoys in album sequencing. Exhibit A.
7. ROB & VIC (FEATURING CHOCOLATE)
Useless intro aside, the beat on this song evokes the feeling that the group is going back to its vibe on All We Got Iz Us, but actually this and a couple of other songs on this album are the earliest precursors to Sticky's monumental debut, Black Trash. I highly doubt that this beat was the one Chocolate recorded his hook over, since a version recorded in 1996 & released in 2012, which is called Love Of Money 96, has a beat more in tune with the hook, which sounds horribly off-key on this one. The back and forth between brothers Sticky and X1 is actually pretty convincing, even though I prefer X1's delivery on the previous version because he sounded more desperate, which fits the overall theme. Still, this was nice.
8. FACE DOWN
This track is one of the two most infuriating tracks on this album, and it's not for the reason you think. You see, the track's beat, produced by Self, is the absolute worst beat on the entire album, which would be fine and dandy with me if the lyrics were equally bad, as I can simply skip the shit. Problem is, the lyrics are among the very best on the album, especially on Sticky's part. This is the kind of boasts n bullshit that all of Onyx thrive on. This irritation has a sequel. Moving on.
9. COPS (SKIT)
I'll go eat something...
10. CONSPIRACY (FEATURING CLAY THE RAIDER)
Apparently the previous skit was to lead into this song, featuring Clay The Nobody. DJ Scratch returns to provide us one of his meh beats, on which Fredro is stuck with hook duties (one of his worst hooks at that) and replaced by Clay The Who Gives A Fuck, whom I swear sounds like someone just beat his ass for his lunch money. I understand he's "fam n'alldat", Onyx, but if he doesn't compliment you well enough, don't put him on the fucking song. Sonsee delivers another solid verse and Sticky tries his damnedest to inject life into the song but Fredro ends it with a verse that's not enough to pick up his fuckup on the hook. Yet another misfire.
11. BLACK DUST
I told you this irritation has a sequel. Why? Because DJ Scratch's final beat of the evening is an absolute banger. By far, his best on the album. And Onyx present us with the worst fucking outing they've released up to that point, across all three albums. The lyrics, especially Fredro's, are a fucking earsore and their delivery, especially Fredro's, is even worse. Most annoying of all, this beat was fucking PERFECT for Face Down's lyrics. Someone better get to making a mashup that rectifies this abomination.
12. ONE NATION (SKIT)
If only the caller could see Onyx now...
13. REACT (FEATURING 50 CENT, BONIFUCCO & STILL LIVIN')
Lady and/or gentleman, I present to you the debut of Mr. Get Rich Or Die Trying himself. And I'm very pleased to say: Aside from him being a brilliant businessman and his work on Hate It Or Love It by current (/former?) enemy The Game, the motherfucker has not contributed one thing to the growth of the art form. Onyx, you get minus points for his inclusion. To be fair, he debuted on the perfect beat for him, as it sounds exactly like the crap he's used to spitting on now. Still Livin' sets us off with his pigshit hook, while a certain organism called a Bonifucco spits the equally repulsive first verse, thereby providing the worst momentum possible for this shit. Onyx (including X1) try to inject the song with some sparks of life, only for Fiddy to kill anything interesting about the song with his boring-as-fuck punchlines. Bud'da, wherever you are, I hope this reaches you: Fuck your production here. How can you go from producing a classic like Bow Down to this bile? I proudly deleted this shit off my playlist and anybody who reads this should do the same.
14. VERONICA
After that camel ass of a song, anything would sound like a fucking improvement. Good thing that this song aspires to continue Sticky's evolution as a storyteller, and damn well succeeds in doing so. Fredro & Sonsee are also up to task as they play along pretty damn nicely over Self's appropriate beat. I loved the fact that our protagonists all die at the end, which is a refreshing change of pace from the constant superthug imagery portrayed by other rappers past and present. A step back in the right direction.
15. FUCK DAT (FEATURING ALL CITY & BUBBA SMITH)
Fredro seems a bit angry at something as he introduces this weed carrier-infested posse cut, which weirdly features only Sticky Fingaz from the home team. Self's instrumental is simply there to move things along, and everyone sounds bored spitting on this. The end result is meh.
16. GHETTO STARZ (FEATURING MR. CHEEKS)
Bud'da's back. Groan. Sure enough, he inspires Onyx to a contribution that is only better than Black Dust. At-the-time critical darling Mr. Cheeks of Lost Boyz fame lost a lot of credit for his association with this piece of manure. I'm sure he greatly regrets that now. (Not really. I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember recording this shit, anyway.)
17. TAKE THAT
For someone who used to be called K-Love, this Keith Horne dude's beats have so far fit Onyx' vibe like a glove. This one is no exception. Too bad it only lasts for a single Sticky Fingaz verse, which seems to end prematurely even when the hook (which is an interpolation of Run's hook on Sucker MC's) is included. I used to wish that there was a full version that involved all members of Onyx and, thankfully, one was recorded at the same time that fulfills my expectations nicely. Even though it wasn't released until friggin' 2012. Still, this short version is alright. Actually, the way it ended was kind of funny, even if I only laughed once.
18. THE WORST (FEATURING RAEKWON, METHOD MAN & KILLA SIN)
Story time, boy and/or girl. There was this movie called Ride. (Not the crappy 2014 Helen Hunt vehicle, the crappy 1998 Malik Yoba vehicle.) It featured Fredro, Sticky and the debut of Cedric the Entertainer. That's all you need to know about this piece of shit flick. Its soundtrack, though, had a track that was credited to Onyx and the Wu-Tang Clan. So, of course, only Raekwon and Method Man show up to the party, along with Killa Sin from Killarmy (pronounced Killa Army), whom I've never heard of up until that point. The end result? Everyone played their part extremely well on this beautifully grimy Latif King beat. Yet, I'm not fully satisfied with X1's showing here. I feel he should've sat this one out and give Fredro breathing space to spit alongside the Chef, even if the Chef's subject matter isn't up to standard. Actually, I honestly feel Sonsee stole the show here. Best song on the album, so far. However, Def Jam made the very irritating decision to join The Worst with another track and promote the second track as a "hidden" one, even when its inclusion is in plain sight on the goddamn tracklisting. To add to the irritation, they're split by the very fucking long silence usually associated with hidden tracks.
19. OVERSHINE (FEATURING ALL CITY)
The "hidden" track. Now, this beat is more like what I expected from a dude named K-Love. Not to say it's bad, or anything. In fact, Keith Horne instrumental's really a grower, since I originally hated it. For their part, Onyx deliver lyrics that are as uplifting as a group like Onyx can be: amid threats galore, promises to erase your essence from existence, the usual. In particular, I thought Fredro delivered the one line that I still remember after the song's finished, even though his verse was the worst out of all three: "If you can count your money, you ain't got none!" This wasn't bad.
20. SHUT 'EM DOWN (REMIX) (FEATURING NOREAGA & BIG PUNISHER)
The track that truly sparked my interest in Onyx, since it's the second track I ever heard from them after Throw Ya Gunz. Self tweaked his original beat to great effect, and Fredro delivers a hook that my untrained ear found good enough to repeat for hours in my work as a teenaged radio news announcer mid-breaks. Of course, not all good things last, as Noreaga, fresh off the "success" of his collaboration with The Firm's Nas & Nature on Blood Money Part 2 (Which was all kinds of boring. Go ahead. Massacre me in the comments. I don't give a fuck.) and on the cusp of gold-status success with his debut. And, let me tell you, someone should've shat in the breakfast of the dude who suggested that P.A.P.I. should go first, because he brings the song to a screeching halt with his unnervingly bad flow. Luckily, Sonsee AND Fredro deliver full back-to-back verses that save the song, even with Fredro starting a particularly nasty habit that would come back to bite him in the ass later by spinning his interpretation of Big Punisher's hook from I'm Not A Player. After the hook, Big Punisher in the flesh delivers one of his best ever verses, in my opinion, with the line "I'm moving past you even when I use the bathroom." still bringing me to chuckles. Ultimately, though, it's Sticky's verse that I remember the most, especially when he said that he told ODB (RIP) to "shut down the Grammys." A line that, according to an interview with Sticky easily found on Youtube, was actually true. Anyways, his punchlines grabbed me by the throat and emptied my pockets then beat me in the head with a spiked bat. Another line: "Fuck a royalty, I'mma hold up Russell for ransom!" Friggin' classic!
FINAL THOUGHTS: I honestly thought I'd hate this album much more than I did after reviewing it, but I'm at another fucking crossroads. Don't get me wrong, this is by far the worst Onyx album of the 90s. But many songs on here are abso-goddamn-lutely essential Onyx music. However, the potential that this album had, which will be more apparent in later posts about the group (yes, there's more), was so much more than what we were given here. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the songs Face Down and Black Dust, as both had negatives that significantly dragged down their positives. Beatwise, Keith Horne aka K-Love was the most consistent producer on the album. Self would be right up there with him if it weren't for that Face Down beat. DJ Scratch was 2 out of 3, Bud'da should've called in sick and Latif King fucking brought his A-game with the lone credit he was given. With this album, Onyx lyrically show their first signs of fatigue, as a result of constant going to church, no doubt. I mean, seriously, you were obviously a very talented crew, so why the fuck did you waste the opportunity to focus?! That's how infuriating the mistakes are on here. Nevertheless, when Onyx are on, they're ON. Fredro & Sonsee continue proving that they can hang with the best of them on the mic, while Sticky discovers a new knack for storytelling that will play a huge part in his evolution as an artist. New fourth member, the late X1, fits in perfectly in many of the good songs. And the skits suck, as usual. So, all in all, this was a very decent album that could've been a classic. Once again, RIP Big DS & X1.
WORTH IT?
I'd say yes, but definitely not for the purists out there who nitpick every single aspect of an album presented to them. Try checking a good track and a bad track back to back. If you like what you get, then you'll like the rest of the album. If the bad is too repulsive, steer clear from it, then.
TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN
VISSI D'ARTE
Off Def Jam's bullshit attempt to flex their artistic control, 1997's The Rapsody: Overture. This album was so much a failure in most aspects that it was only released in Europe and Japan. (I swear, Japan got all the good versions of hip hop releases back in the day. Lucky bastards.) It's almost as if the album was purposefully issued to fuck over all artists involved, as there was initially no way that one song on this album would be any good. Two songs by Onyx and Redman, however, broke that wall and became critical hip hop gold. Onyx' was so much better than Redman's, though, it wasn't even funny. I mean, who would've thought that Onyx, of all the hip hop acts in America at the time, would mesh the best with classical music? But our trio make it work splendidly. I personally feel that ever since All We Got Iz Us, Onyx did the best post-apocalyptic hip hop of the mainstream. Yes, even better than Busta Rhymes' first 4 albums & Mef's Tical 2000. This song is a good continuation of that. To top it all off, all three members fucking body their parts, even Fredro who chose to spit in an old-school flow. However, there's no fucking contest that Sonsee's double time flow stole the fucking cake, even if he and Fredro sound like they gave up mic time for Sticky's opening verse. This track is easy to find and it's friggin' awesome.
Disagree? Questions? Comments? Leave them below.
If you're still interested in reading about Onyx, go ahead.
This album is ILL,stop
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