On this day in 1971, Fred Scruggs Jr., better known as Fredro Starr of the legendary Hip Hop group Onyx, was born. Fredro has morphed from being the front man of the crazy bald heads to an award winning rapper and actor.
Born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Starr moved to Jamaica, Queens as a teenager in the mid-80s and attended John Aams High School. There is where he met Sonny Seeza and Big DS, who would later become members of the mutli-platinum group Onyx which was founded by the late Jam Master Jay of the iconic Queens trio Run-D.M.C.
Fredro also made a name for himself in the television and movie world, with dozens of TV and silver screen appearances including Spike Lee’s Clockers, Forest Whitaker’s Strapped, Moesha starring Brandy and New York Undercover just to name a few.
Salute to Fredro on his born day, wishing him a great day today and many more hereafter!
In conjunction with the celebration of Hip-Hop’s landmark 50th anniversary, legendary rapper Saigon & and Swedish multi-platinum producer Fredro have joined forces to create a love letter to Hip-Hop. Specifically, 1986-1996, a/k/a The Jordan Era. They have also tapped many other legendary voices to help join their celebration.
After announcing their new album, and releasing the project’s first single and video, “Lyrical Genius,” which featured one of Hip-Hop’s “holy trinity of emcees” in Grandmaster Caz (co-author of “Rappers Delight” and the emcee with the longest running tenure atop the billboard Hot 100 Charts), Saigon and Fredro have continued to roll out singles that require the presence of legends only, following up with “Get Loose” featuring Pete Rock and “Think Twice” featuring Grand Puba.
Now, with their latest single, “Make Money,” Saigon and Fredro collaborate with yet another legend, who is inarguably, one of the culture’s most influential and respected emcees in Kool G Rap (who was also recently inducted into the National Hip Hop Museum).
“G Rap and I have a long-standing artistic history and I’m beyond impressed how he has been this dope, for this long” Saigon marvels. “He is my favorite rapper, so it’s always a blessing to rap alongside him. He doesn’t miss a step.”
Saigon and Fredro’s forthcoming album, The Jordan Era, is produced in its entirety by Fredro, and features guest appearances from Grandmaster Caz, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Rockness Monsta, Craig G, Ill Skratch—with more features to be unveiled.
Saigon and Fredro’s The Jordan Era album will be released on 5-3-24 via the iconic Payday Records.
In a recent interview with BagFuel, actor and Onyx front man Fredro Starr said that the late Jama Master Jay was so astonished at the amount of money he was making pre-Onyx, that he asked him if he ws slinging drugs to make his ends.
“When Jay met me, you know what he asked me? ‘You sell drugs?!’” he recalled. “You know why? Because I was getting money. You know how I was getting money? I was cutting hair.”
Fredro says that he made so much money as a renowned barber in his Jamaica, Queens neighborhood because he counted the local hustlers and knowns rap legends as his loyal cusotmers.
“[I was the] illest barber in New York, for real. I was cutting Rakim‘s hair, [Kool] G Rap‘s hair. Everybody was coming through the barbershop. All the drug dealers in ’86, ’87,” he said. “I had a line of n-ggas. ‘Who you waiting for?’ ‘Dro.’ ‘Who you waiting for?’ ‘Dro.’ I had [to tell] n-ggas, ‘Yo, you come back at 4.30. You come back at 5.30.’
“All these n-ggas pulling up in Benzes. All my clientele was drug dealers. So when I met Jay, he was like, ‘You selling drugs?!’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Nah, I don’t believe you.’ I said, ‘Bro, I cut hair!’ I had to figure out a way to get money and stay fly.”
Jam Master Jay signed Onyx to his JMJ imprint in the early 90s, prompting the release of their debut album, Bacdafucup, which was certified platinum by the RIAA in 1993, just seven months after the album’s release.
In conjunction with the celebration of Hip-Hop’s landmark 50th anniversary, legendary rapper Saigon & and Swedish multi-platinum producer Fredro have joined forces to create a love letter to Hip-Hop. Specifically, 1986-1996, a/k/a The Jordan Era. They have also tapped many other legendary voices to help join their celebration.
After announcing their new album, and releasing the project’s first single and video, “Lyrical Genius,” which featured one of Hip-Hop’s “holy trinity of emcees” in Grandmaster Caz (co-author of “Rappers Delight” and the emcee with the longest running tenure atop the billboard Hot 100 Charts), and “Get Loose” with Pete Rock, now they are back again with yet another legend, Grand Puba, who is featured on the new single “Think Twice”; which is now available.
Saigon and Grand Puba both show and prove on “Think Twice,” taking turns flaunting their effortless styles and flows over Fredro’s bouncy production. You will also hear “Think Twice” being played during the new episode (EP. 302) of the Starz breakout hit show BMF, which will air on 3-8-24.
“Growing up, Brand Nubian was one of my favorite groups, and Grand Puba as a solo artist shaped and molded my fashion sense at that time, and he is my favorite artist of all time” Saigon divulges. “Grand Puba has never gotten his due respect. Before Kanye, it was Puba who made the rugby with the knapsack look cool. He also always made sure there was some kind of a positive message in his music. While making this song, I tried to channel Grand Puba Maxwell from Masters Of The Ceremony (his first group), with the Puba from his Reel to Reel album, and I came up with “Think Twice.” It was a pleasure and honor to work with this legend.”
Emcees take warning; if you’re thinking about stepping to Saigon and Grand Puba— take their advice and “Think Twice”!
Saigon and Fredro’s forthcoming album, The Jordan Era, is produced in its entirety by Fredro, and features guest appearances from Grandmaster Caz, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Rockness Monsta, Craig G, Ill Skratch—with more features to be unveiled.
Saigon and Fredro’s The Jordan Era album will be released on 5-3-24 via the iconic Payday Records.
On March 30, 1993, cousins Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz and their partners Sonny Seeza and Big DS put out their debut album, Bacdafucup, on the newly created Rush Associated Labels.
Primarily produced by the group’s founder Jam Master Jay, other production credits include The Afros’ Kool Tee, Chryskillz, and a then young producer named Jeff Harris; Bacdafucup was by far Onyx’s best studio LP, becoming certified platinum by the RIAA in just a little over seven months after its debut.
The album’s sure shot singles include the riot-causing “Throw Ya Gunz,” the horn propelled “Shiftee,” and of course, the mainstream favorite of all, “Slam.”
Onyx made their claim to fame with their trademark “mad face,” bald heads, and all black everything. Many copycats came after these guys, but their mark on the game is definitely unparalleled. Salute to Fredro, Sticky, Seez, and a big RIP to DS.
Fredro Starr is ready to call it quits. The Onyx legend has announced his rap days are soon over, dubbing 2023 his last year.
Starr appeared on The Dr. Greenthumb Show with B-real and revealed his days in the rap game are numbered.
“You supposed to say: ‘I’m gonna retire.’ You gotta make the comeback. Michael Jordan did it. Guess what? I’m retiring too this year. After this year, I’m done. All jokes in side pocket,” Starr said.
Why is he retiring? Starr said 30 years in the game is enough.
“Thirty years of Hip Hop. This is the last year. I’m retiring. Don’t call me for no verses, nothing. I might do a show here and there.”
You can hear Fredro Starr speak on his retirement below.
Fredro Starr has heard about the sentence of Brittney Griner and thinks it’s cap. The Onyx rapper stated Griner is a political pawn, and he has first-hand knowledge because he has smoked weed all through Russia.
“Russia is Onyx’s biggest market and we were supposed to go Russia a month before her,” Starr opened. “I would never bring weed, but a weed pen is different. She got caught up in some political shit, and it’s fucked up.”
Speaking with Vlad TV, Starr states he smoked before in the country, and recreational use is more common than we would believe it is following reports about Griner. Starr would even go forth to state that weed in Russia is better than some of that is found in California.
“Russia’s different. Russia likes hip-hop. Russia has weed growers; they got weed out there,” Starr said. “Real shit, indoor, poppin. I smoke mad weed in Russia every time I go there, better than Cali, Turks, all that. For a weed pen? Come on, man. She got caught up. It’s not that serious.”
On March 30, 1993, cousins Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz and their partners Sonny Seeza and Big DS put out their debut album, Bacdafucup, on the newly created Rush Associated Labels.
Primarily produced by the group’s founder Jam Master Jay, other production credits include The Afros’ Kool Tee, Chryskillz, and a then young producer named Jeff Harris; Bacdafucup was by far Onyx’s best studio LP, becoming certified platinum by the RIAA in just a little over seven months after its debut.
The album’s sure shot singles include the riot-causing “Throw Ya Gunz,” the horn propelled “Shiftee,” and of course, the mainstream favorite of all, “Slam.”
Onyx made their claim to fame with their trademark “mad face,” bald heads, and all black everything. Many copycats came after these guys, but their mark on the game is definitely unparalleled. Salute to Fredro, Sticky, Seez, and a big RIP to DS.
