Starr returns to hip-hop with solo album’s debut
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 8, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Koch Records Onyx rapper and actor Fredro
Starr recently released an album titled "Firestarr" on his
own label, Other Peoples Money.
By Anthony Quinonez
Daily Bruin Contributor
It’s Fredro Starr’s time to shine.
A veteran of both television and film, Starr has helped pave the
way for rappers such as DMX and Nas to gain crossover
success.Â
He was a regular on the hit sitcom “Moesha” and has
appeared on such shows as “Law & Order” and
“NYPD Blue.” He starred in the film “Sunset
Park” and was seen most recently in the successful
“Save The Last Dance.”
The rapper/actor is also making his presence felt on the musical
side of things. An original member of the rap group Onyx, he
recently released his debut album “Firestarr” on Feb.
13.
The album is a stylistic tribute to life on the streets through
the eyes of Firestarr, Starr’s alias.
The album is a departure from the griminess Onyx fans are
accustomed to, displaying the crisp production associated with much
of today’s hip-hop music.
“Firestarr” is the first album released on
Starr’s label, Other Peoples Money.
“I started the label five months ago,” Starr said in
a phone interview from his hotel room in Los Angeles. “Now
we’re sitting on some real paper, making money for ourselves.
It’s all a dream.”
The trend of rappers starting their own labels is increasing
throughout the hip-hop world. The reason for this is simple ““
there’s more money.
“It’s everybody’s dream to have a record
label,” Starr said. “You can control your own destiny.
You can set up your own empire.”
Another advantage to having a record label is the increased
creative control. Along with a solo album from cousin and fellow
Onyx rapper Sticky Fingaz, Onyx signed with Other Peoples Money, to
record its fourth studio album, “Bacdafucup Volume
2.”
“The album is gonna be a little different this
time,” Starr said. “We’re gonna keep it the same
musically, gonna keep it grimy, but what we’re talking about
is gonna be different. We’re not hopping trains anymore,
we’re copping Benzes.”
Along with the new themes in its rhymes, Onyx has added a new
face to its posse.
“We have a female in the group now, my cousin Kima,”
Starr said. “She’s hot. She spits fire.”
Musically Onyx plans to bring some firepower on the forthcoming
album.
“We’re gonna work with the hottest producers out
there,” Starr said. “Plus we got my man Davinci laying
down tracks.”
Davinci produced most of “Firestarr” and is
part of the new breed of producers who don’t rely heavily on
samples. The sound is polished yet street influenced by such
producers as Swiss Beats, who works with the Ruff Ryders.
Such is the times. Sampling is becoming less and less common as
record labels try to minimize the amount of royalties paid to clear
samples.
Times were different when Starr first came on the scene. Many
sampling laws hadn’t been passed yet and producers had more
creative freedom. The members of Onyx personified the hip-hop of
the time, mixing jazzy samples and dirty beats with its raw lyrics.
Its lyrics also reflected the members’ lives at the time.
“We started out in Queens. Sticky and me are cousins and
the rest of the crew I went to school with,” Starr said.
“We started out like a lot of cats, rhyming in the park about
what was going on.”
These days Starr can breathe a little easier. Along with the
upcoming albums, he will be starring in a BET movie titled
“Commitments” later this year and has other projects in
the works. Yet it is clear that he has the most love for his
label.
“Other Peoples Money. Check us out. We’re gonna do
some things.”
MUSIC: Fredro Starr’s new album
“Firestarr” is currently available from Koch
Records.
