ONYX Bacdafucup – Part 1

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Has it really been 25 years since Onyx released their debut record ‘Bacdafucup’?! As a guy of 42 this album hit the streets during a pivotal time in my development and, believe it or not, had a bit of an impact. While it’d be a stretch to say I pull this album out and listen to it very often, it’s always an interesting time capsule when I do go down Memory Lane to see how the four-man crew of Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr, Sonny Seeza (aka Suave) and Big DS have aged in the intervening years.

So when Dan Minard said he wanted to do this album I reflexively chuckled because my knee-jerk reaction is one of a rap group that’s known more for their personas as a gang of oftentimes cartoonish thugs as they are for their art amongst most who remember them at all. Still, it seemed like one of those unlikely things that might pay off in more rewarding ways.

Well, I’ll be damned if that’s not exactly what happened! So if you see this come up in your podcast queue and you’re skeptical I’d definitely say give it a chance. Upon really re-evaluating the album it struck me how much talent as M.C.’s they had (for the most part), and for such a young crew they had a gift for phrasing that most seasoned rhymers never get to. Produced by Run DMC legend Jam Master Jay and Chyskillaz the album is full of good tracks and you’ll see how they influenced artists from Eminem to the Wu-Tang Clan and even 50 Cent. Also for all his craziness, Sticky Fingaz was a real revelation, much like Snoop Dogg was when Dr. Dre discovered him. Also, the main three figures in the group (Fredro, Sticky and Suave) had a real chemistry as a collective that got lost in the hype.

In this episode Dan and I recount the emergence of Onyx in late 1992 when their first single, “Throw Ya Gunz” was a bona fide sensation among the youth who liked to watch pay-for-play cable network “The Box” as it was played ad nauseum for months prior to the ‘Bacdafucup’ LP dropping. When it came out in the spring the pump was primed to at least be hailed by the audience of people who loved hardcore hip-hop. It’s one thing to be momentary street legends and genuine crossover artists, which happened when their second single “Slam” crossed over to pop radio, peaking improbably at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in an era where that guaranteed platinum album sales (which is what happened). Much like “Jump Around” did for House of Pain, it gave Onyx an audience that otherwise wouldn’t have considered their brand of rap previously, for better or worse.

While much of this record is better than you remember it, some of it is hopelessly of-it’s-time and out-of-touch. But that doesn’t mean it all isn’t worth delving into and discussing. We also pepper the pod with personal stories from Dan having a random pitbull spend the night to Randy having one of the all-time awkward moments with his boss over ‘Blacvaginafinda’. So join Dan and I as we get live like wires and use our trademark humor to both entertain and inform. At least that’s our story and we’re sticking (see what we did there..?) to it!