First of all, the album's name is Black Trash. With a space. I'm not calling the shit Blacktrash. I don't care if Sticky Fingaz himself disagrees with me.
When people from the industry look back at the career of Onyx today, they usually go: "Those Slam dudes? They were alright." Or: "Those dudes who got into it with 50 Cent? Nah, they're not gangsta." I imagine that a hip hop fan with a brain would not actually look at them that way, but the thing is, even among the purists, Onyx are somewhat overlooked. Me personally? I'm a big fan of their first 3 albums, Bacdafucup, All We Got Iz Us and Shut 'Em Down, and anything related to those releases. Also, I don't talk only about Sticky Fingaz, even though I get why he's treated as the group's standout, but Fredro Starr & Sonsee have also contributed to Onyx' finest hours and they don't seem to get mentioned at all. Which really bothers me. Take a look at some of the Genius lyrics for Onyx, You'll normally find that Sticky Fingaz' verses are very clear and distinct and very few mistakes are committed in writing them. The other two, by comparison, could as well be nonames and they wouldn't get the kind of treatment they're receiving now. Especially Sonsee, whom people sometimes seem to forget about entirely. Stop doing that, people, or I'll tell. Anyhow, Sticky has certainly given reason for people to single him out, as he is, without question, one of the wittiest punchline rappers I've ever heard. He's up there with the Redmans, the Das EFXs, the Akinyeles. I'm not bullshitting.
So, after Shut 'Em Down was released to mild fanfare back then and unanimous adulation now (which I don't get, as All We Got Iz Us is a much better album yet nobody seems to talk about it as much), A dynamic changed within the group. Fredro and Sticky were suddenly in demand as actors (with good reason, might I add), and Sonsee suddenly started to appear less and less in the mainstream, along with Sticky's close mentee and new fourth member, the late Bruce "X1" Sandlin. (RIP) This change benefited Sticky the most as he appeared in two very important cameos in as many years, each one more important than the next. The cameos were Pete Rock's Strange Fruit and Eminem's Remember Me. Someone out there might think I'd have mentioned his hook duties on Massive Heat by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz (which is a goddamn torturous mess of a song, by the way) and Buck 'Em by Snoop Dogg, but since they're hook duties, they don't really count. Also, he did contribute an awesome verse to the very weird posse cut New World Disorder by Biohazard from their album of the same name, which doesn't come as a surprise to me since Biohazard collaborated with Onyx in the past and post-apocalyptic themes are one of Onyx' home turfs. (Although I swear I heard Roc Marciano deliver the opening verse.)
After that, many major labels started a bidding war for his services. Even Dr. Dre's Aftermath wanted him. I'll pause to let the following 'what if' sink in for a second: What if Dre signed Sticky right after Eminem and kept Royce Da 5'9"? That's right. The 2000s era of hip hop would've been a punchline era instead of a bling era. And we wouldn't have had to suffer through the whole 50 Cent experience. Oh well. Long story short, Universal won the bidding, and when album time was upon him, Sticky opted for a concept story album as his solo debut.
Now, when Prince Paul invented the concept story album, it began taking on a life of its own with releases like Prince Paul's own Psychoanalysis: What Is It? & A Prince Among Thieves, as well as The Equinox by Organized Konfusion (their best album, by far.) So, Sticky had already decided that this format was the perfect gateway for his solo career. And if you think he's going to pull any stops in acquiring the proper guests on the mic and behind the boards, you're dead wrong. So, is this another pretentious attempt at artistry?
(WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!! Just thought I'd do so for anybody out there who don't like spoilers. You can thank me in the comments.)
1. INTRO
I find the use of the Universal Studios theme hilarious! So Kirk Jones (Sticky Fingaz' real name and his in-story character. Go figure.) is back home from a prison bid and going to a Sticky Fingaz concert. Interesting. So far, so good.
2. COME ONE
Self, who has a previous working relationship with Onyx (one with mixed results), sets us off admirably. Sticky wilds out on the perfect introductory beat for this album, which he proceeds to rip to shreds with his trademarks violent punchlines. Upon listening to this song, you realize something: Lyrically, Sticky has not lost a step since his debut 8 years prior, which is pretty amazing. A particular line stuck with me: "The man that could murder me, I'm dying to meet/Rather fuck your own seed than shoot a 5 with me!" After the song ends, we hear a guy named Sammy step up to Kirk and tells him to meet him outside. Kirk then acquires a pistol from his friend who can't be associated with this life no more. which prompts Kirk to issue the following statement...
3. MY DOGZ IZ MY GUNZ (FEATURING BLACKCHILD)
Get it? A dog is a man's best... oh fuck it. While I appreciate the narrative he's trying to build, this song was really unnecessary. Bud'da gives us his first contribution of the album and, I swear, he seems to have peaked in Westside Connection's Bow Down, because all I've heard from him afterwards is pure crap. Sticky does what he can with the track, but Murder Inc underling Blackchild snuffs the remainder of its life out with his crappy hook. I guess it makes sense why Murder Inc signed him since they’re in the business of putting out absolute garbage (Looking dead at you, Ja Rule.) This was a failure, all things considered. After the song, we hear Sammy argue with his girl before he gets into it with Kirk and shoots him, after which Kirk executes Sammy and gets in a getaway car driven by one of his boys.
4. NOT DIE'N
Self is back and he's out to redeem himself from that Face Down beat on Onyx' third album, Shut 'Em Down, and his beat is adequate for Sticky's shit-talking. The punchlines come at a time in the story where Kirk is feeling pretty invincible, so kudos to Sticky for paying attention to sequencing. Nice!
5. KIRK JONES CONSCIENCE
That's Omar Epps as Kirk's conscience, by the way. Moving along. Then, we transition to to Kirk losing his shit over his stolen money. The perfect gateway to..
6. MONEY TALKS (FEATURING RAEKWON)
Sticky starts getting ambitious. Here, he raps from the perspective of cash, literally. And you know what? He pulls it off. Honestly, I don't understand why I don't hear about this track more often in the discussion of great rap songs, like Stray Bullet, I Gave You Power, Invetro & Rewind. He brings up many interesting points, including: "All by myself, I created black on black crime" or "If you're smart, you make me work for you". Brilliant! Raekwon is on fire with the hook. I'll tell you, I friggin' love wordy hooks, and he and the original Terror Squad did them lovely!! Rockwilder brings in a very fitting beat for this conscious song. A fucking hit with me. The song ends with Kirk walking up to a gun dealer he knows to buy one of his guns which plays the beginning of the next song's beat.
7. WHY (FEATURIN STILL LIVIN' & X1)
DJ Scratch, a man whose turntablism I've already expressed admiration of, gives us a beat that, while not really that good, forces us to pay attention to the events happening mid-song. Kirk meets up with two of his homeboys, Dez (played by former Gang Green member Still Livin') and Bruce (played by X1). The song follows their shenanigans where, punctuated by a Still Livin' hook that does its job, Kirk is leading the unwilling Bruce down a destructive path that leads to Bruce's death. The chemistry between Sticky and co. is great on here, especially between him and X1, which isn't really weird judging by their past work together. Although I must admit, this song creeps me out now because of what happened to X1 in real life, yet I'm not saying Sticky is a bad influence in his real life, either. Kirk enters a state of despair which is a gateway to the next song.
8. OH MY GOD
Now this song is where Sticky is at his most ambitious. I, for one, think he got part of what he's going for right. How, indeed, can there be light if there was no darkness? However, the rest is a mixture of pride and confusion on Sticky's part. At least, that's how I feel. He, for one, contradicts himself when stating "How could I write commandments and not have them kept?" then stating the above-mentioned point that without darkness there is no light. Another instance is in the same bunch of bars near the end: "Don't think, your thoughts are just that: thoughts/Your feelings are real, erase what you been taught/Feelings are the language of the soul the soul is truth/I speak through you to aware the youth" One might ask: Should I forget what you're teaching me right now?! What makes you worthy of my trust?! This whole point simply does not make any sense. There are a few other arguments that don't really hold up under scrutiny, but I'll never hear the end of it, so I'll let someone else do it for me. Besides, Self's beat is just unworthy of such a high concept. It's grade A blandness. All in all, this was way over Sticky's head. I know he's a smart and ballsy cat, but he's unprepared for this kind of question-raising, unlike Money Talks, where he knows all the ins and outs of his subject matter, therefore presenting a thorough analysis AND an entertaining song. This was a misfire. The song ends with the scene returning to Kirk as he's being arrested, which sets up the following track's events.
9. STATE VS KIRK JONES (FEATURING REDMAN, CANIBUS, RAH DIGGA, SCARRED 4 LIFE & LORD SUPERB)
Nottz sets up this courtroom scene with a beat worthy of such drama. The song itself is actually one of the funniest on this album. Sticky sticks to playing Kirk in the background without any verses on this song, but the guests more than make up for it. Rah Digga plays Judge Battle (really?), her contributions moving things along. Canibus and Redman steal the fucking show as prosecution and defense lawyer Pat Haley, respectively. Canibus also performs double duties as the second witness, Paul De Jour. Scarred 4 Life isn't that good of a rapper, but he nails the jealous tone of witness Henry Lace, while Lord Superb sounds like a kid who just got fucking bitchslapped by his mama as Mr. Fitzpatrick. (I'm sure everybody believes you wrote Ghostface Killah's verses from 97-01 now, 'Perby. I mean, blazing lyricism, right? Groan.) After all is said an done, Battle sentences Kirk with the maximum sentence with the line "By the time you come out you gon' have a grandson" To which he responds by kicking down the mic stand in the booth. All in all, a good enough track, even with its weak parts.
10. KIRK JONES CONSCIENCE II
O.E. is back. After which Kirk gets into an argument over his phone time to call his brother, which leads to the next song...
11. BABY BROTHER (FEATURING DAVE HOLLISTER)
Sticky makes the curious choice of playing Kirk's younger brother when he had X1 right there who could've played that role perfectly. He did so before on Shut Em Down’s Rob & Vic. RIP X1, once again. DJ Scratch presents us a soulful beat reminiscent of the 70s on which Dave Hollister absolutely does his thing on the hook, while Sticky delivers his by-now trademark storytelling with another solid performance. His second take on the converse-with-myself flow is a success. The song ends with Kirk getting a visit from his girlfriend, who proceeds to dump him. Don't know why you're taking it so hard, Kirk. You did take her from another man. A man you killed immediately before doing so, nonetheless. She's got Gold Digger written all over her, man.
12. CHEATIN'
This Rockwilder-produced song is a misogynist's wet dream. Sticky vents out his frustration with females worldwide and ensures this song will have very few female fans, which is a stupid move on Sticky's part to me. Anyway, he gets it out of his system and things move on. The song ends with Kirk meeting the appeal committee, who inform him that his bid was rejected the way everybody hates: By giving you hope that you'll get out early. The attorney utters the title to the next song
13. WHAT CHU WANT (FEATURING X1)
Bud'da's back. And, what's this? Am I finally hearing a decent beat from him? Why, yes I am! See, Bud'da? You only had to bring the beat back to a simple composition for things to fall into place nicely. Sticky and the returning X1 bounce off each other effortlessly, as usual. Both nail the lawyer's greed right on the money. So, yeah, this song was good. It ends with Kirk, back on the streets, getting into a confrontation with a man he wronged a long time ago. Which leads into the next song.
14. GHETTO (FEATURING PETEY PABLO)
So, Bud'da. It only took you one song to forget how to do it right. I should've known better. Anyway, he gives us a very mediocre beat for Sticky to spit about the attributes of being ghetto, in which Sticky does a good job. Guest rapper Petey Pablo’s crooning sounds like an old man who used to be a singer and is trying to get his career back on track. Needless to say, he doesn't sound very good. Should’ve stuck to being a rapper, here. Unfortunately, Sticky's performance doesn't prevent this from being a misfire, either. Too bad. The song ends with Kirk coming across an unsuspecting kid whom he proceeds to rob, leading into the next song and…
15. WHAT IF I WAS WHITE (FEATURING EMINEM)
Finally, we get to the biggest guest star on Black Trash. Actually, Eminem used to do this fairly often back then, so his presence on this album isn't really that far off. The sequel to Remember Me (which was fucking awesome) is, of course, Eminem being stuck on hook duties, ad-libbing and ONE fucking rhyme. And it's not even a good hook. Also, Damon Elliot doesn't do a very good job producing the track, which is a shame since Sticky does the concept lyrical justice. I really thought I'd like this track, but it is what it is. The song ends with Kirk entering into a dispute with his new girlfriend which ends in him smacking her, thereby leading into the next song.
16. SISTER I'M SORRY (FEATURING CHOCOLATT)
Damn, this was a surprise. Sticky Fingaz, the crazy, evil, never-give-a-fuck cat, is apologizing to women across the world in a seemingly heartfelt song about the abuse they face from men, other women or life in general. The lyrics indeed were pretty good. Too bad the cheesy beat (by Big D Evans and Sticky himself) and cheesier crooning by guest star Chocolatt, whose new misspelling of his nickname pisses me off to no end, don't do the job for me, so, this was another misfire. The song ends with Kirk robbing yet another grocery store.
17. GET IT UP (FEATURING FREDRO STARR)
Which leads us into the only single released from this album featuring Sticky's cousin Fredro Starr (don't get excited. He's only ad-libbing.) DJ Scratch gives us his best beat of the album, and Sticky does not waste it this time. This truly is a song that you expect Sticky to spit his trademark violent punchlines on. Finally, a homerun. The video is hilariously awesome, with cameos by Omar Epps, Fredro Starr and X1. The song ends with a violent altercation for someone's chain
18. KIRK JONES CONSCIENCE III
Omar's final appearance on the album, explaining Kirk's desperate state of mind, at present. Bye, OE. See you in House.
19. LICKEN OFF IN HIP HOP
The final rap song of the evening finds Sticky going back again to his punchlines, and while that's always been his forte, I need a beat worthy of the lyrics to enjoy the song. Sadly, Punch's production just doesn't provide that. Very unfortunate, that. Columbo The Shining Star certainly doesn't help matters with his half-assed singing. The man simply sounds like he's doing someone a favor that he's completely uninterested in doing, which I'm sure will give us his performance of a lifetime, right? No? Oh well. The song ends with Kirk refusing arrest and killing himself. Roll credits.
20. WONDERFUL WORLD
The credits. You only need to listen to this once. Onyx' official website features a version with original lyrics by Sticky, with the beginning of Raekwon's hook to Incarcerated Scarfaces sampled within the song. Look for that version.
And we're done.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Actually, I admire Sticky's dedication to the concept, and he's pretty much consistent throughout, with no real lyrical slip ups. But the beats are a different story, as they varied greatly in quality. To put it bluntly, I think this album shares many similarities, both highs and lows, with Onyx' Shut 'Em Down. So my stance on it is kind of the same. If you're a purist, stay away from this album. If you're not, then this album is worthy of being in your collection. I know I enjoyed it.
TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
GET IT UP (REMIX) ( FEATURING METHOD MAN, REDMAN & XZIBIT)
Sounds about just as much as it looks, an awesome remix to an awesome song. Everybody on here came correct with their punchlines. I always love Mef when he's really invested in the performance and this song is no exception. To be honest, I can't really pick a winner among the verses displayed on here, as everyone has a line that edges out the other. This track is a must have. Go get it right away.
Agree? Disagree? Sound off below.
For more Onyx, go on here.
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