Fredro Starr
Fredro Starr | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Fredro Scruggs, Jr. |
Also known as | Freddy, Firestarr |
Born | April 18, 1971 |
Origin | South Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA |
Genres | East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper and actor |
Years active | 1988–present |
Labels | Mad Money Movement, Koch, Def Jam |
Associated acts | Onyx, Ice-T, Outlaw Immortalz |
Fred Scruggs (born April 18, 1971) better known by his stage name Fredro Starr, is an American rapper and actor, best known as a member of hardcore hip hop group Onyx. He is from South Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Music career
After being discovered by RunDMC and the late Jam Master Jay,[1] Fredro Starr released six albums with Onyx. Onyx split with Def Jam Recordings after their 1998 release Shut 'Em Down & temporarily broke up. In 2001. Onyx reunited the next year and released Bacdafucup Part II.
In 2000 Starr along with Jill Scott contributed to the soundtrack of Save the Last Dance for the lead single of the movie "Shining Through". Starr has also contributed to the soundtracks of Sunset Park & Light It Up. Starr released his debut solo album, Firestarr in 2001. Starr's next album, Don't Get Mad Get Money, arrived in 2003. In 2006 Starr formed a new group called Yung Onyx, but the group later disbanded.
On May 13, 2013 Starr released his debut mixtape and first solo project in 10 years entitled Live 4ever Die 2day. On October 17, 2013 Fredro Starr revealed that he almost signed with Death Row Records.[2] On December 25, 2013 Starr along with producer The Audible Doctor released their collaboration album Made In The Streets.[3] On November 26, 2013 Starr released his first single from his upcoming third album The Firestarr 2 entitled "What If 2".[4]
On January 8, 2014 he released the official video for the single.[5]
Other ventures
Acting career
Starr made his acting debut in Forest Whitaker's 1993 award-winning HBO drama Strapped, for which he earned a Cable ACE Best Supporting Actor nomination, in addition to several Onyx songs appearing on the soundtrack. Other film credits include Clockers, Sunset Park, Ride, Light It Up, and Save The Last Dance.
On television, Starr had a recurring role on Moesha as the title character's boyfriend and fiancé. He appeared in three episodes of HBO's The Wire as Marquis "Bird" Hilton. Starr co-hosted Paramount Domestic Television's daily half-hour urban dance competition, Dance 360, with actor Kel Mitchell. The program aired for one season in 2004 before being canceled due to poor ratings.
Starr also filmed guest appearances on NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Blade: The Series (in which Sticky Fingaz starred in the title role), and "Promised Land." He played Ricky Gannon on a CSI: Miami episode that aired February 2, 2009, and appeared on New York Undercover in the episode entitled "Student Affairs."
Starr plays the lead in the independent feature-length film "Diamond Ruff," which had its premiere in Hartford, Connecticut on November 1, 2013.
Controversy
50 Cent
There has been a low-level argument between Starr and 50 Cent. According to the Rap News Network, 50 Cent started a confrontation with Starr at the 2003 Vibe Awards.[6] In a 2003 interview Fredro Starr explained, "50 Cent basically started shit with me, started a scuffle, and a bodyguard broke us up. He's a punk. He's disrespectful to Jam Master Jay ever since he passed".[6] In an interview with the Source magazine, Fredro Starr said that 50 Cent had been disrespectful towards the Onyx rap group even though Onyx had given him his first breakthrough on a song called "React" from the 1998 album, Shut 'Em Down.
DMX
On September 18, 2012 Fredro Starr rapped a freestyle that was aimed at fellow pioneer New York City rapper DMX with Fredro rapping "A lot of niggas think they Ironmen, they lying men," Fredro raps. "Just roll me in the lion's den, talking about real hip-hop, I am him, a lot of haters want the fire to end, don't want the fire to wind/But I've got the fire and desire to win/Won't stop until I cop a fucking flying Benz, this nigga X talking shit right, if he ever try it again, huh, he be in front of the firing pen, if his crew front, be a lot of dying men, at the funeral, family and crying friends, let's get back to money, we go together like tire & rims, you wanna ball, we can go as high as the rim, So much weed smoke, time to call the fire men/We got the cocaine, nigga, flying in, any way you want it, any way you need it, my niggas be supplying them, when the new J's came out, I was buying ten."[7] On September 26, 2012 during a radio interview DMX responded to the diss by saying "Couldn’t even reach my knee, I am not worried about him, all he is a sitcom "Moesha" gangsta. He should just stick to being a reality gangsta cause that’s about all he’s good for."[8]
Personal life
His cousin and fellow Onyx group member is Sticky Fingaz. Starr has two children, with his wife, model Korina Longin.
Solo Discography
- Studio albums
- 2001: Firestarr
- 2003: Don't Get Mad Get Money
- 2014: Made In The Streets (with The Audible Doctor)[9]
- 2015: Firestarr 2
References
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0823507/bio
- ↑ "Fredro Starr On The Time Tupac And Brandy Saved His Life From Suge Knight". UPROXX. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "Made In the Streets". iTunes. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "What If 2 - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "Premiere: Fredro Starr 'What If Pt. 2′". Vibe. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- 1 2 "Rap News Network - Hip-Hop News: Fredo Starr VS 50 Cent". rapnewsdirect.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "SOHH.com - Onyx's Fredro Starr Puts DMX On Blast? "X Talking Sh*t Right - If His Crew Front, Be A Lot Of Dying Men" [Video] – For The Best In Hip-Hop News - SOHH.com". For The Best In Hip-Hop News - SOHH.com. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "DMX Clowns Fredro Starr For Weak Diss Record [VIDEO]". The Urban Daily. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ↑ "The Audible Doctor". audibledoctor.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
External links
- Fredro Starr at the Internet Movie Database
- Fredro Starr at Allmusic.com
- Diamond Ruff The Movie