Hardcore rappers and New York City natives Onyx are slated to make a hometown appearance at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Feb. 7. The group, whose sound included a hardcore punk edge unique to hip-hop in the early 1990s, will appear alongside a host of prominent voices in the NYC hip-hop scene including Brooklyn duo Smiff N Wessun, LR Blitzkrieg, The Bad Seed, and more. Onyx was co-founded in 1988 by Sonny Seeza, the late Big DS, and Fredro Starr, who still fronts the group alongside his cousin Sticky Fingaz, who joined in 1991 ahead of the group’s 1993 debut album, Bacdafucup. Onyx were central to the merging of rap with hardcore punk rock sensibilities in the 1990s. They collaborated with Brooklyn outfit Biohazard on a reimagining of “Slam,” a hit that “saved” Def Jam Records, according to Sticky Fingaz, as well as on “Judgement Night,” the title track for the 1993 action film featuring Cuba Gooding Jr., which appeared on a now classic soundtrack chock full of rap-rock collaborations. The music, an extension of groundwork laid by Run-DMC with Aerosmith and, later, Public Enemy with Anthrax, can be seen as a precursor to the emerging nu-metal movement of the time. The video, directed by former Cro-Mags guitarist Parris Mayhew, includes appearances by prominent figures in the New York City music scene associated with both genres, including Redman, Madball, and Danny Diablo — illustrating how these seemingly different subcultures converged in NYC, sparking new creative possibilities and stylistic re-invention. The event at Littlefield, which will run from 6-10 p.m. on Feb. 7, is presented by The Craft and promises a “night dedicated to elite lyricism, timeless beats, and the culture that raised us,” according to the event page. “The Craft is about intention … No filler, no wasted time. Just hip-hop in its purest form, presented the way it should be.” You can score tickets for Onyx’s hometown appearance on Feb. 7 at thecraft.nyc, find more information at littlefieldnyc.com, and stay up to date with Onyx on Instagram at @Onyx_hq.
Rapper group Onyx to make hometown appearance at Littlefield Feb. 7
