AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Onyx

Artist:Onyx

Song:Slam

Album:Bacdafucup

The rap group Onyx scored a top five hit with the 1993 single Slam. They had success on the rap chart but this was their only pop hit. They were considered in the industry as too hardcore to go mainstream. They should remind you of Run-DMC but even louder. Onyx was formed in 1988 in Queens, NY by high school classmates Fred "Fredro Star" Scruggs Jr., Tyrone "Sonny Seeza" Taylor and Marlon "Big DS" Fletcher. They signed with Profile Records and released a 1990 single that went nowhere. They had a chance encounter with Run-DMC DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell and he asked them for a demo. But Fletcher and Taylor couldn't make it to the recording studio, Onyx's manager asked Scruggs to bring his cousin Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones with him. The demo got them a deal with Mizell's JMJ label with DefJam distribution. Jones joined Onyx and after their DJ was killed, Chylow "Chyskills" Parker became Onyx's new DJ. Onyx released their 1993 debut album Bacdafucup and it was certified Platinum. The first single Throw Ya Gunz topped the rap charts. But the second single Slam reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Getting Onyx a mainstream radio hit was always going to be a tall order. But the video was played on MTV and BET. And then the NBA used the song to promote the playoffs. That's when radio picked it up and it became a hit. It turned out to be their only big hit. Bacdafucup is available on CD. Onyx recorded three albums for JMJ and then started their own label. Scruggs and Jones still record as Onyx. They released three albums in 2022. But my guess is most listeners would be hard pressed to distinguish them from other rap groups from the era. Here's the video for Slam by Onyx.