Onyx in Moscow: hits and slam at the show of American rappers

What used to be the usual state of affairs (at least for large cities) now looks terribly extravagant. It would be wrong to say that touring as a musical event has completely disappeared here, but there are few artists who can put Moscow and St. Petersburg at the beginning of the European part of the tour, to put it mildly.

It was rumored that Onyx planned to perform in Russia more than six months ago, but then they allegedly received a government recommendation to refrain from visiting a country that was very problematic by American standards. A few months later, the red light was turned off, and the band, to the delight of local fans, published screenshots of Russian visas on their official accounts.

Onyx’s first Russian tour took place more than twenty years ago, and since then some of the most influential artists in hip-hop have traveled around the country, even reaching Siberia. However, the nationwide Onyx craze began back in the nineties, when no less T-shirts and sweatshirts with the band’s logo were sold than those with Nirvana and Prodigy prints.

The history of Onyx began in 1988, but the acceleration to global success lasted quite a long time, even by the standards of that time. We can say that the artists broke the bank in 1993 with the album Bacdafucup. It was on this release that the essence of hardcore rap was formulated, and the single Slam not only became multi-platinum, but also provided hip-hop with the most rock and roll surroundings: a black outfit, a sharp sound, slam and stage diving during concerts.

The group went through a difficult path, surviving the death of important members of the movement – both from serious illnesses and as a result of gang warfare. And when in interviews they call themselves “real gangsters,” they are not showing off at all. However, now Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. and Kirk Jones, as the main faces of Onyx, are more like legends in no hurry to retire than dashing guys. However, the desire to do as they want, and not as they should, reveals their remaining rebellious character.

For American artists, a visit to Russia is now a difficult undertaking, not only from a logistics point of view. There is an opinion that such tours are strictly prohibited for them. But in a democracy, prohibitions look a little different. The point is that a musician cannot be prohibited from performing where he wants and where he is expected. Even recommendations to cancel a trip remain only recommendations. At the same time, the artist must understand all the risks, including reputational ones, and also think about those who help him tour.

If we are talking about a large rental corporation like Live Nation and large international insurers, then it is reputational risks that do not allow them to make touring projects in Russia. But everything becomes much easier if the artist organizes his tours as an independent player. The members of Onyx in this situation, apparently, are entirely on their own, the concert venues they choose are not huge, the touring team is minimal, so it’s much easier for them to plan their tour than for Madonna or the Stones. And all this is very beneficial to their Russian fans, for whom an evening in the company of hip-hop authorities has become, although not free, a very valuable gift.

What it looked like

Old-fashioned modestly. A DJ and two MCs, minimal lighting, several thousand people in the hall with flashlights and a burning desire to lose their voices. Fred Lee and Kirk admit from time to time in interviews that they are faithful to the methods that they discovered back in the nineties, and if you add to this the recent thirtieth anniversary of the Bacdafucup album, then nostalgia is perceived as more than appropriate.

The show begins with two retro numbers, Throw Ya Gunz and Bacdafucup, which are still capable of turning the audience’s ears thirty years later. For most of those present, these tracks became almost lullabies in their time, so the fan volcano explodes immediately and does not subside until the finale.

Hip-hop as a musical method involves using whatever you can get your hands on, so covers of classics like Cypress Hill or Ol’ Dirty Bastard fit perfectly into the setlist, especially given the local popularity of all these artists.

Before Last Dayz, Fred Lee asks to turn off the lights and turn on the flashlights. The hall immediately evokes the atmosphere of a garage and a not-so-permitted concert. Obviously random people appear on stage every now and then, but no one drives them away, and the feeling that the party is getting out of control clearly adds courage. Nevertheless, the sound does not fail, the words fly out like from machine guns.

Twenty-three tracks rush by much faster than one might expect, and under Slam the expected mash-up begins, performed by people who could have been sitting in their offices during the day. It was hard to think of a better Friday night!

pros

Two years of the “touring diet” may have slightly confused the fan’s optics. Large and not so big concerts of local rappers sometimes looked like very cool events. In many ways, they were like that, and our hip-hop establishment, like young informals, produced quite the tracks, collabs, albums and performances. But then Onyx arrived – and it felt like you were thrown into the ocean after floundering in the pool. Everything was completely different, but at the same time the way it should be. We just might have forgotten it.

Minuses

In the new century, they tried in every possible way to convince music consumers that audio without video simply does not make sense. And the arguments were very competent. The artist in the “black office”, of course, now looks like a relic of the past. Until he makes the public forget about the need for screens. Onyx, of course, was forced to do so. But not at once.

Party phrase

“We love you, motherfucker!” – the rappers said towards the end. And that evening everything was truly covered with the sweet kumar of love.

Direct speech

On the eve of the concert, Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. and Kirk Jones spent time with 3D in between two radio interviews. Mineral water, pies, nondescript winter strawberries and short statements purely to the point. In general, we talked.

– Now it is quite difficult for an artist from America or Western Europe to plan concerts in Russia. Nevertheless, you are here, which probably hints at your special relationship with our public…

– We have always felt a lot of love coming from our Russian fans. And if one of the artists feels the same, then he will return here, no matter what happens. But it turns out that there are no people like Onyx. In general, we have our own label and our own concert agency, so we can be a bridge for those who really want to come here.

– You also have excellent relationships with local rappers. What do they have that American hip-hop artists don’t?

– Russian language. It’s very difficult to rhyme, but they do it well. In general, great respect to your rappers. Ram Digga is our favorite local artist, we did two collaborations with him, this guy has some kind of Jamaican vibe. Partymaker Stef is also our friend. And also Oxxxymiron (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation — Approx. “ZD”), Basta, Smokey Mo – we know Russian rap, and from the inside.

– In your tracks you often expressed your personal attitude towards everything that happens around you. People tend to change over the years. Have your views on justice and injustice changed?

– We have always spoken on behalf of the United States of the Ghetto. We are the voice of people who have to survive every day, and our views here have not changed.

– There are eleven albums in your discography, and there were different responses to them. Is the opinion of critics important to you?

– Critics? No, let them delve into their own shit, we are not interested.

– Are you interested in the commercial performance of your releases?

– This is important, and we are not offended. Slam is one of the most successful singles in hip-hop history.

– It’s probably difficult to continue after such success?

– It’s difficult, but we always believed that we could make it steeper and higher. And we do.

– Recently, technology has greatly simplified music production. There are a lot of them, but do you think there is a good one?

– It doesn’t matter whether it’s difficult or simple to make music, it requires a soul. And there is very little music written with soul now. But we don’t care. If you constantly worry about something, you won’t have enough time for yourself. And we still have a lot of plans…