Fredro Starr: Firestarr : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Back in 1993, the perpetually screw-faced, baldheaded ne'er-do-wells of Onyx were a near-perfect synthesis of skill and gimmick -- part N.W.A, part WWF. On "Dyin' 4 Rap," Fredro Starr fills us in on what he's been doing since the group's last album: "Took a step back from the game, watched it flip/Did a few flicks, fucked a few chicks." Despite his Onyx pedigree, Starr does more than beat his chest on Firestarr. The piano-driven "What If" spins the wheel of fate with poignant queries like, "What if the kids was popular that went to Columbine?" "Perfect Bitch" is a Weird Science-like musing where Fredro tries to conjure up the ultimate partner from pieces of R&B divas and screen dreams (Aaliyah's lips, Vanessa Williams' eyes, Ananda's skin tone, etc., etc.).

Onyx's standout member, Sticky Fingaz, digs even deeper into the concept well for his solo outing, Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones. A full-length narrative chronicling the exploits of a career criminal, Black Trash has some great moments. A confrontation in a nightclub leads to an update of Ice Cube's pro-gun exercise, "Man's Best Friend." A botched robbery sets up "Oh My God," a conversation with Sticky's maker. And on "State vs. Kirk Jones," Canibus and Redman earn best-supporting-actor nods for their turns as attorneys dueling over Jones' destiny. Black Trash's climax is not as exhilarating as the songs along the way, but Sticky Fingaz -- like his ex-partner Fredro Starr -- manages to bring some new ideas and energy into the rap game. (RS 862)

KRIS EX