Of all the hip-hop artists who emerged from New York City, not one act has been able to embody the hecticness and aggression of the city like Onyx. The four-piece from Queens was one of, if not the absolute, first groups to truly dive into what is now known as hardcore hip-hop or horrorcore. Their menacing presence was felt upon impact when they released their 1993 debut, Bacdafucup. Throughout this LP, the group consisting of Fredro Starr, Sticky Fingaz, Big DS, and Sonny Seeza combined the harmonies of De La Soul and intertwined them with the heavy guitar riffs ushered into hip-hop by Run DMC. Now considered a classic of the genre, Bacdafucup is a celebration of the group’s chemistry and innovation as their gritty delivery of detailed violent imagery.
For this week’s Golden Age Thursday, we take a look back at an exceptional performance from Onyx. In 1993, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, who signed Onyx, put together Phat Jam. In hopes of promoting his clothing brand Phat Farm, Simmons put together a stellar lineup of Def Jam affiliates and artists for an unforgettable night of legendary hip-hop. In this video, Onyx’s inevitable legacy is as clear as day. The energy of the mosh pit can be felt through the screen as Onyx’s palpable and gritty energy radiates from the stage.
