From the Grind Over Matter LP, coming September 9th.

If you came of age in the 90’s golden era, you know that Onyx’s introductory album Bacdafucup was a hip-hop staple. Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr, Sonny Seeza and Big DS (R.I.P) were angry, spastic and totally captivating on the mic. Subsequent albums became soundtracks for New York City ruffnecks and ruffneck sympathizers across the world. It’s been two years since their last release; Cold Case Files Vol. 2, a follow up to the first compilation of previous hits and lost tracks. But is their new material enough to hold today’s listening audience?

The 14-track album titled Wakedafucup; produced entirely by the Snowgoons, dropped quietly on March 18th and stayed true to Onyx’s history of making music for the streets. In a time where most albums are made for the clubs, a handful of tracks hit just the spot to offer refreshment. For one, “We Don’t Fucking Care” featuring A$AP Ferg adding some new school flavor and Sean Price doing what he does best. Haunting keys, brooding bass and crisp drums make this one a standout.

“Buc Bac” feels dated due to the group’s signature call and response, gun loving chants. Meanwhile, they show up with the same gritty voices and topics from over two decades ago. Take “Hustlin Hours” featuring MakemPay – albeit laced with sharp cuts and classic boom bap, one wonders if an ode to hustling is necessary in 2014.

A tribute to famed New York City nightclub the Tunnel, featuring Cormega and Papoose, proves touching with a reference to the late great Baby Chris; “Chris Lighty ran the Tunnel, he was the man.” Vivid descriptions of the club that had a culture of its own are great for reminiscing if you were of age during that time.

“Wakedafucup” reprises the album intro as a call to the rappers of today to loosen up their clothes and stop dancing. It may be a valid argument that “Hip Hop needs a facelift,” but Onyx does not convince us they are the surgeons for the job. What’s more, the “hip hop needs to be saved” concept is overdone and inoperative. These outdated sentiments ignore and alienate current talents who manage to incorporate the substance past generations are used to, yet still innovate fresh.

The next series of songs taper off in energy; “Dirty Cops” ft Snak the Ripper, “Boom” with more precise scratching and “Trust No Bitch,” where Sticky enacts Common’s “I Used to Love Her” method, equating the bitch in question to hip-hop. That is, until “One for the Team” where Reks in the assist spits what might be the best verse on the entire album. But what also stands out is Sticky’s confession that hip-hop keeps calling him. Out of the other group members, he’s the one to believe. “Turndafucup” picks up the pace as the final track, with everyone in pocket sounding like the Onyx of old, but it’s not enough to catapult the project to greatness.

This album starts off strong but wanes by the middle and plays like a reach for nostalgia. Snowgoons don’t disappoint, offering beats that prove they’ve studied the greats. But while there are some bright moments, it seems the wake up call should be for Onyx. Though lyrically sound, the ferocity they’ve displayed in the past is missing and their subject matter has failed to evolve. Still, amidst the lackluster there’s a little fight left in Sticky. Wakedafucup would have fared better as a shorter album, allowing Sticky to shine.

New visual piece from Black Snow 2, available now.

#WAKEDAFUCUP available on iTunes worldwide March.18.2014.

The title track from Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr’s new Onyx LP gets a video clip.

A new one from the Snowgoons’ Black Snow 2 LP, available December 13th on iTunes, via Goon MuSick.

Snowgoons’ new album, Black Snow 2, will hit iTunes December 13th. Check out the tracklist and snippets from the project below.

1. This Is Goons Shit ft N.B.S. & Planet Asia
2. Black Snow 2 ft Apathy, Sicknature, Celph Titled & Ill Bill
3. Suckaz Behind Screens ft Edo. G & Reks
4. Make Or Break ft Billy Danze (M.O.P.), Aspects & Paragraph
5. Party Crashers ft Reef The Lost Cauze
6. Walk The Streets ft Genovese & Styles P.
7. Live Your Life ft Sean Strange & Salome
8. The Hatred 2 ft Slaine, Madchild & Sicknature
9. One Thing I Know ft Planetary (Outerspace)
10. I Walk Alone ft CunninLynguists
11. Still Real & Raw ft M-Dot, Jaysaun & Journalist 103
12. Nuclear Winter ft Rakaa, Perseverance, Joe Scudda & Brainstorm
13. Do U Bac Down ft Onyx
14. Fast Food Nation ft Q-Unique
15. Iron Bars ft Papoose, Kool G Rap, Nature, Sean Strange & Justin Tyme
16. The Code ft Raekwon, 2Ugli & LoDeck
17. The Real Talk ft Ice Water, Akrobatik, Virtuoso & Diabolic
18. Guillotine Rap ft Dope D.O.D.
19. Click Clack ft Banish, Crooked I, Aims & Rasco
20. Dizzy Dreams ft Viro The Virus
Bonus:
21. Benz Bema Dreamz ft Masta Ace & Stricklin
22. Dirty Goons ft Swifty McVay & Jay Gill
23. It Gotta Add Up ft Shabaam Sahdeeq, Baby Blak & Jay Hill
24. Reel Wolf Presents – The Underworld ft Bizarre, Reef The Lost Cauze, Ill Bill, Slaine, Celph Titled, King Gordy, SID (of Slipknot), PMD & Sean Strange (The Goondox), Apathy, Swifty McVay, Vinnie Paz & Tech N9ne (Goon MuSick Remix)

From The Snowgoons’ Black Snow 2 dropping december 13th.

On the heels of their European tour announcement, N.B.S. connects with frequent collaborators Snowgoons and veteran wordsmith Akrobatik to show fans the ‘Essence of Real Rap’.

‘Essence of Real Rap’ is a fan favorite cut from the third N.B.S. retail effort ‘The Dispensary’ (available now via Big Bang Records on iTunes and your favorite digital retailer).

The Dispensary places N.B.S. alongside Wais P, Esoteric, Reef the Lost Cauze, S.A.S., Virtuoso, Checkmark, Outerspace, and Blacastan with production by Snowgoons, Stu Bangas, Doc Ish, Blastah Beatz, Vanderslice, Aza, 6th Element, J-Beat, and OMB.

Starting on March 22nd, N.B.S. will embark on their second European tour in less than a year. Appearing alongside hip-hop legend Edo G and true school favorite Reks, N.B.S. are solidifying their position as the go-to hip-hop group for conscious street weathered hip-hop.

Tour Dates:

March 22, 2013 – Budapest, Hungary (Alongside Killakikitt)

March 29, 2013 – London, United Kingdom

March 31, 2013 – Madrid, Spain (Alongside Edo G)

April 1, 2013 – Barcelona, Spain (Alongside Edo G)

April 2, 2013 – Saint-Étienne, France

April 3, 2013 – Lyon, France (Alongside Edo G)

April 4, 2013 – Rennes, France

April 6, 2013 – Geneva, Switzerland (Alongside Reks & King Magnetic)

From the new album Snowgoons Dynasty out 17th of July.

Goondox is comprised of hip hop legend PMD, NY hardcore rapper Sean Strange and European beat masters Snowgoons. This massive collaboration video features a dozen rappers from all over the continent. Directed by Tom Vujcic.
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Produced by The Snowgoons from the album “Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age”.

Billy Danze and Lil Fame announce the release of their upcoming collabo album with the Snowgoons, “Sparta.” Album drops worldwide November 22nd on Babygrande Records.

Reef The Lost Cauze’s upcoming collaborative album with the Snowgoons, “Reef The Lost Cauze: Your Favorite MC” drops October 25th.