''Shut 'Em Down'' is the third album by American hip hop group
Onyx
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...
, released on June 2, 1998 by
JMJ Records
JMJ Records is an American record label which was founded in 1989 by Jason Mizell, better known as Jam Master Jay from Run-D.M.C. The label was relaunched in 2017 by Jam Master J'Son, the oldest son of the legendary Jam Master Jay. The label rele ...
and
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
. The album was produced by Keith Horne and Self, with help from
DJ Scratch
George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York.
DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 Master of the M ...
of
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is a concatenation of the members' names "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon ("E" a.k.a. ...
,
Bud'da
Stephen Anderson, better known as Bud'da, is an American producer, songwriter, composer and rapper for artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Xzibit and Aaliyah. Through the successful Westside Connection stint, and the mutual acquaintance of fello ...
and Latief. The album features guest appearances from Onyx's affiliate
X1,
DMX
Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...
, a then-unknown
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
, Still Livin from Gang Green,
All City,
Mr. Cheeks
Terrance Kelly (born March 28, 1971), known professionally as Mr. Cheeks, is an American rapper best known for his work with the musical group Lost Boyz, and as a solo artist with the single "Lights, Camera, Action!".
Biography 1991–2019: L ...
,
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
,
N.O.R.E.
Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop du ...
,
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the ea ...
and others.
''Shut 'Em Down'' debuted at number 10 on the US
''Billboard'' 200, and number 3 on the
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
chart and sold 90,000 copies in its first week.
The album features three the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
singles
The Worst
The Worst or Worst may refer to:
* ''The Worst'', a 1997 album by Sarcófago, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2000 album by Tech N9ne, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2004 EP by Lower Class Brats, or its title track
* "The Worst" (On ...
,
Shut 'Em Down and
React REACT or React may refer to:
Science and technology
*REACT (telescope), a telescope at Fenton Hill Observatory, New Mexico, US
Computing
* React (JavaScript library) , a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, from Facebook
** React Nati ...
. The album sold fairly well, moving over 500,000 units.
"Shut 'Em Down" is the last album, released by Onyx on the Def Jam. JMJ Records as well as Onyx was officially removed from Def Jam on "Black Thursday" - January 21, 1999 - because the label
PolyGram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
, who in 1994 purchased 50% of Sony's Def Jam, was sold to
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the lar ...
on December 10, 1998.
Background
"Shut 'Em Down" was originally supposed to be released on March 17, 1998, but was delayed until April 17, then May 19, and was finally released on June 2.
Chyskillz
Chylow Parker (July 19, 1969 – February 13, 2018), known by the stage name Chyskillz, was an American record producer, beatmaker, DJ, hardcore rapper, and a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
Chyskillz was discovered by the l ...
was originally picked as the main producer of the third album. This was written in the "
Billboard Magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
" on July 13, 1996.
In February 1998, in an interview for
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
over the phone line,
Sticky Fingaz
Kirk Jones (born November 3, 1973), better known by his stage name Sticky Fingaz, is an American hardcore rapper, record producer, and actor best known as a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
Sticky Fingaz was discovered by Jam ...
told about the new album:
"...It's like a combination of both of the (first two) albums taken to the next level. All We Got Iz Us was more narcissistic, it was a dark album. This one has elements of both, style flipping. We got appearances by Nas and Wu-Tang".
Recording and production
The album was recorded in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. The album features guest spots from Onyx's affiliate X1,
DMX
Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...
, Chocolate, Clay The Raider (also known as Scarred 4 Life),
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
, Bonifucco, Still Livin' from Gang Green, Sunshine, Bubba Smith,
All City's J. Mega and Greg Valentine,
Mr. Cheeks
Terrance Kelly (born March 28, 1971), known professionally as Mr. Cheeks, is an American rapper best known for his work with the musical group Lost Boyz, and as a solo artist with the single "Lights, Camera, Action!".
Biography 1991–2019: L ...
,
Killa Sin
Jeryl Grant (born April 2, 1976) better known by his stage name Killa Sin is considered the best-known member of Killarmy and is regarded as one of the most skilled Wu-Tang Clan affiliates.
Biography
''Killa Sin'' has appeared on gold and plat ...
,
Method Man
Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...
,
Raekwon
Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...
,
N.O.R.E.
Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop du ...
and
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the ea ...
. Most of the album was produced by Self and Keith Horne, with help from
DJ Scratch
George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York.
DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 Master of the M ...
on the songs "Street Nigguz", "Conspiracy" and "Black Dust",
Bud'da
Stephen Anderson, better known as Bud'da, is an American producer, songwriter, composer and rapper for artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Xzibit and Aaliyah. Through the successful Westside Connection stint, and the mutual acquaintance of fello ...
also produced the songs "
React REACT or React may refer to:
Science and technology
*REACT (telescope), a telescope at Fenton Hill Observatory, New Mexico, US
Computing
* React (JavaScript library) , a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, from Facebook
** React Nati ...
" and "Ghetto Starz". Latief made music for collaboration with
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
called "
The Worst
The Worst or Worst may refer to:
* ''The Worst'', a 1997 album by Sarcófago, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2000 album by Tech N9ne, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2004 EP by Lower Class Brats, or its title track
* "The Worst" (On ...
".
According to Keith Horne, one of the producers of the album "Shut 'Em Down", this album was technically the forth studio album by Onyx. It was recorded a lot of songs for two albums, but eventually only one album was released. Keith Horne made 11 songs with Onyx, but only 5 of them were included on the album. "Take That" was cut from the album to not make a double album. The song "Broke Willies" samples a portion of
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
's song ''
Miss You''.
Self was introduced to the group by Onyx's road manager Eat 'Em Up. Self did seven tracks for their third album ''Shut 'Em Down'', but only five of them were placed on the album. He produced the single ''
Shut 'Em Down'', the first record with DMX. He also produced the remix for this song featuring
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the ea ...
.
Shut 'Em Down (Exclusive Advance)
Def Jam released a promo release on the CD in the cardboard sleeve "Shut 'Em Down (Exclusive Advance)" in February 1998. The contents of this CD differed significantly from the final version of the album: "Broke Willies" was originally called "Stones", "Rob & Vic" was originally called "Love Of Money" (and had a completely different beat), the song "I Don't Wanna Die" was later removed (since
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses.
During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
did not give permission for using his chorus), there was a X1 verse in the song "Ghetto Starz", "Overshine" was not a hidden track, in the song "Black Dust" the line from Sonny Seeza's verse was cut, "The Worst" was named "Onyx vs. Wu-Tang". In addition, the original cover of the album was too similar to the cover of the album "All We Got Iz Us" and the members of Onyx thought that people could get confused, so they changed it
The 1998 Grammy Awards
The
40th Annual Grammy Awards
The 40th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and R. Kelly were the ...
, were held on February 25, 1998, at
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Sticky Fingaz told
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...
of his plan to take over the stage to promote Onyx's new album "Shut 'Em Down" at that evening the
Grammys
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
were going to take place.
"...This time I need to promote 'Shut 'Em Down' album... Me and my DJ LS One, we ain't even have tickets to the Grammys... we just walked through security, talking to each other like we supposed to be here... I went to the bathroom, I washed my hands and I'm looking at the mirror and saw a nigga ODB, I'm like 'Who the fuck is this? What up my nigga! Yo, I'm about to go shut this shit down, basically go onstage and promote the motherfucking album' and I told the nigga my plan, he's like, 'Alright! Let's go! Do it!'. Along the way, I stopped to talk to a motherfucking bitch... ODB was with U-God. I was with LS One, so I asked 'Yo! LS, where's this nigga Dirty go?'. He's like 'I don't know'. We walk into the auditorium, open the door, and who the fuck do I see onstage? ODB. I'm like, 'This motherfucker stole my shit and did it without me?'".
Ol' Dirty stole his idea and did it without him.
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. While Colvin has been a solo recording artist for decades, she is best known for her 1998 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home".
Early ...
's trip to the podium to pick up her award for
Song of the Year was interrupted by the
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
's Ol' Dirty Bastard who stole the mic to praise his group, and his new clothes, after Wu-Tang lost the
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...
. The album in question was
Wu-Tang Forever
''Wu-Tang Forever'' is the second studio album of American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released June 3, 1997, on Loud/RCA Records in the United States. Pressed as a double album, it was released after a long run of successful solo projects fro ...
. They lost to
Puff Daddy
Puff may refer to:
Science and technology
* Puff, a small quantity of gas or smoke in the air
** Puff, a light gust of wind
** Exhalation
** Inhalation
* Puff model, volcanic ash tracking model developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
* PUF ...
's "
No Way Out". O.D.B. urged the crowd to "Please calm down," and launched into a confusing speech thusly:
"...I went and bought me an outfit today that cost me a lot of money, because I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all, peace".
This incident was immortalized by Sticky Fingaz in the song "Shut 'Em Down Remix": "They scared to death mothafuckas trying to ban me / I'm the one who told Ol' Dirty to shut down the Grammys".
Def Jam promo campaigns
In 1997, Def Jam released a series of 5 audio cassettes entitled "The Unstoppable Def Jam Sampler": Foxy Brown, LL Cool J, Method Man, Redman, EPMD. On each cassette was pictured one artist of Def Jam in the form of a comic book character. The packaging opened like a pack of cigarettes. All the tapes had the same 11 tracks from the artists of the label Def Jam. On all cassettes there was the same Onyx's track "Face Down" from the upcoming album "Shut 'Em Down".
In May 1998, as part of its "Survival Of The Illest" campaign, Def Jam released a series of 3 CDs called "Survival Of The Illest", vol. 1/2/3 (Limited Collector's Edition CD). The first such promotional CD was released as a bonus CD of DMX's album "It's Dark And Hell Is Hot", released on May 19, 1998. It included 11 tracks of Onyx, 10 of which were on the album "Shut 'Em Down". Another track is the freestyle "See You In Hell, Pt.2", recorded for DJ Clue's mixtape "The Curse Of The Clue" (1997), this freestyle can also be found on the compilation ''
Cold Case Files Vol. 1'' (2008). The second promo CD was released as a bonus disc of Onyx's album "Shut 'Em Down" on June 2, 1998. The third promo CD was released as a bonus disc of Def Squad's album "El Niño", released on June 30, 1998.
In May 1998, as part of its "Survival Of The Illest" campaign, Def Jam released a series of 2 vinyl records called "Survival Of The Illest", vol. 1 and vol. 2, which included new tracks from DMX, Onyx and Def Squad. The 1st collection includes Onyx's tracks from the album "Shut 'Em Down": "React" (Radio Edit) and "React" (TV Track). The 2nd collection includes Onyx's tracks from the album "Shut 'Em Down": "Broke Willies" (Radio Edit) and "Broke Willies" (TV Track).
In 1999, Def Jam released a series of 8 CDs titled "The Unstoppable Def Jam Sampler": Redman, Foxy Brown, Public Enemy, DMX, ONYX, LL Cool J, Method Man, EPMD. On each disc was one rapper of Def Jam in the form of a comic book character. On each disc there were 6 tracks from the artists of the label. On the discs "Method Man" and "EPMD" there was a freestyle called "See You In Hell" by Onyx, recorded for DJ Clue's mixtape in 1997.
In 1999, Def Jam released a series of 2 CDs entitled "The Unstoppable Def Jam Sampler", vol I and vol II. On each disc, 4 artists of the Def Jam label were shown in the form of comic book characters. On each disc there were 12 tracks from the artists of the label. On the first CD there was a freestyle called "See You In Hell" by Onyx, recorded for DJ Clue's mixtape in 1997.
The last album on Def Jam
"Shut 'Em Down" is the last album released by Onyx on Def Jam. JMJ Records as well as Onyx was officially removed from Def Jam on "Black Thursday" - January 21, 1999 - because the label
PolyGram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
, who in 1994 purchased 50% of Sony's Def Jam, was sold to
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the lar ...
on December 10, 1998.
Only four years earlier, Onyx were "saving Def Jam", as Sticky Fingaz put it, but now they were hoping the label would save them. Their third—and what would become their final—album on
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
, "Shut 'Em Down", barely went gold.
"...Our unity with am MasterJay was broken, our unity with the label was broken", says Sticky, who came by the office one day and threw a tantrum. "I flipped out, pulling plaques off the wall, throwing shit around, mad", he remembers.
Singles
Four singles were released from this album: "The Worst", "Shut 'Em Down", "React", "Broke Willies".
The first single, "
The Worst
The Worst or Worst may refer to:
* ''The Worst'', a 1997 album by Sarcófago, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2000 album by Tech N9ne, or its title track
* ''The Worst'', a 2004 EP by Lower Class Brats, or its title track
* "The Worst" (On ...
" featuring
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
's
Method Man
Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...
,
Raekwon
Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...
and their affiliate
Killa Sin
Jeryl Grant (born April 2, 1976) better known by his stage name Killa Sin is considered the best-known member of Killarmy and is regarded as one of the most skilled Wu-Tang Clan affiliates.
Biography
''Killa Sin'' has appeared on gold and plat ...
was released, December 23, 1997. The song appeared on the ''
Ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
'' soundtrack.
Fredro Starr
Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Fredro Starr, is an American rapper and actor best known as a member of the hardcore rap group Onyx. Fredro Starr was discovered by the late hip hop star Jam Master Jay of ...
and
Sticky Fingaz
Kirk Jones (born November 3, 1973), better known by his stage name Sticky Fingaz, is an American hardcore rapper, record producer, and actor best known as a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
Sticky Fingaz was discovered by Jam ...
also starred in this movie "
Ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
", which was originally called "I-95". The song peaked at #6 on the "
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
" for two weeks, #22 on the "
Hot Rap Singles
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
" for two weeks, and #64 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
's "
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
" for two weeks.
The video was directed by
Diane Martel
Diane Martel (also known as Bucky Chrome) is an American music video director and choreographer.
Awards
Diane Martel was nominated for the Video of the Year for her work in "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. in 2013.
Film ...
and depicts a post-apocalyptic world where rap is banned. The video was filmed in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City (Ipoh Garden Malaysian Chinese) in December 1997 and was released on "
The BOX" on March 14, 1998.
In February 1998, in an interview for
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, Sticky Fingaz told about collaborating with Wu-Tang:
"...It was a collaboration. Working on the soundtrack was a lot like the tour we did with them, we're on the same vibe... It's about the worst of the worst, meaning the best. We're the worst nightmare for everyone in hip-hop. That shit is fucking right".
The second single, "
Shut 'Em Down" featuring
DMX
Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album ''It's Dark and Hell Is Hot'' in 1998, to both critical acclaim ...
was released on February 6, 1998. Single was released with a promo sticker "From the forthcoming album 'Shut 'Em Down' in stores March 17, 1998". The song debuted at #43 on the "
Hot Rap Singles
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
" on February 7, 1998, peaked at #26 on the "
Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
" for two weeks, and #61 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
's "
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
".
In the interview on "White Label Radio", Fredro Starr told a story about how Onyx recorded the title track. DMX came to the
NYC
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
's studio, "Sound On Sound Studios, to record the song "Shut 'Em Down" accompanied by his
pitbulls and members of
Ruff Ryders
Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darin "Dee" and Chivon Dean. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Fontana Dist ...
, but on the shooting of a video in
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
, he arrived alone with the dogs!
The video was directed by
Gregory Dark
Gregory Dark (born Gregory Hippolyte Brown on July 12, 1957, in Los Angeles) is an American film director, film producer, music video director, and screenwriter. Dark is an adult filmmaker who transitioned into directing Hollywood movies. He ...
and was filmed in
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
in December 1997 and was released on "
The BOX" in February 1998.
The third single, "
React REACT or React may refer to:
Science and technology
*REACT (telescope), a telescope at Fenton Hill Observatory, New Mexico, US
Computing
* React (JavaScript library) , a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, from Facebook
** React Nati ...
" featuring Bonifucco, X1,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
and Still Livin was released on June 2, 1998. The song peaked at #44 on the "
Hot Rap Singles
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
", and #62 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
's "
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
".
"React" was debut directorial video of the famous director
Little X
Julien Christian Lutz (born October 31, 1975), known professionally as Director X, is a Canadian filmmaker, commercial director, music video director, and television director. Having directed more than 100 music videos, he is widely known as a pr ...
and premiered in "
Rap City
''Rap City'' is a music video television program block that originally aired on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network from August 11, 1989, to November 8, 2008. The program was an exclusive showcase for hip hop music videos, and featu ...
" (aired on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
)
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
spoke on his appearance in the video "React" when asked about the last time he went ice-skating.
"...It's been a long time," 50 Cent said. "It actually was the Onyx video. I had to learn for the video. I didn't know why. I was like 'What the—?' I asked them to put me in the box. Like an actual enalty box.
The fourth single, "Broke Willies / Ghetto Starz" featuring X1 and
Mr. Cheeks
Terrance Kelly (born March 28, 1971), known professionally as Mr. Cheeks, is an American rapper best known for his work with the musical group Lost Boyz, and as a solo artist with the single "Lights, Camera, Action!".
Biography 1991–2019: L ...
was released in September 1998 with a promo sticker "The next single from the gold album Shut 'Em Down '98". An alternative radio version of the song "Broke Willies" was released on the singles "React" and "Broke Willies". Dirty single version is still not released.
The video was directed by
Little X
Julien Christian Lutz (born October 31, 1975), known professionally as Director X, is a Canadian filmmaker, commercial director, music video director, and television director. Having directed more than 100 music videos, he is widely known as a pr ...
on August 1, and premiered in "
Rap City
''Rap City'' is a music video television program block that originally aired on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network from August 11, 1989, to November 8, 2008. The program was an exclusive showcase for hip hop music videos, and featu ...
" (aired on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
) in September 1998.
The Queens, N.Y., natives give R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" a macabre reworking, offering a somewhat controlled version of their seemingly endless rage.
In February 1998, in an interview for
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
over the phone line, Fredro Starr told about the meaning of the song "Raze It Up":
"...'Raise It Up' is about representing wherever you at, representing this real hip-hop shit, so wherever you are on the other end, you can hear it and know we know what's going on".
Original versions
In 2012, the original full version of the song "Take That" was found. The song contains verses from Fredro Starr and Sonny Seeza, which were cut down on the album. Also, original versions of the songs "Raze It Up" and "Broke Willies" were found, originally called "We Comin' Thru Ya'll". Both songs contain completely different lyrics. All these songs were included in the compilation ''
Cold Case Files Vol. 2''.
In 2016, the original version of the song "Shut 'Em Down Remix" was found. The song contains completely different lyrics from all the members of the group. There's also a verse from X1 that did not get on the album.
Tribute
In 2005, "Shut 'Em Down (Remix)" was featured in the video game ''
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories''.
In 2012, the
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n hip-hop group Ice Top recorded a cover version of the song "Shut 'Em Down Remix" by Onyx called "Shartai" and then filmed a video for this track.
In 2014, Onyx released an album called ''
#WakeDaFucUp'' that included a song called "The Tunnel" dedicated to the
NYC
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
's club "
The Tunnel
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
" in which the group performed several times. In 1998, Onyx was at the club "The Tunnel" on Sunday May 31, 1998 where they come to present their new album "Shut 'Em Down" which was released after 2 days on Tuesday, June 2, 1998.
In 2017, in honor of 19th anniversary of Onyx's album "Shut 'Em Down"
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
's rapper Sick Flo, who's also a member of Onyx's movement "100 MAD", released a tribute video called "Shut 'Em Down".
Critical response
''Shut Em Down'' was met with generally positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Judson Kilpatrick of
Vibe magazine
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down production ...
saying "On their third album, Shut 'Em Down. Onyx still sound loud, grimy, and angry. But their usual cutthroat lyric barrages are now balanced by a few mellow tracks, such as “Ghetto Starz” (which features the radio-friendly Lost Boyz rapping over Queen’s thumping 1980 “Another One Bites the Dust”). Onyx even transform the O'Jays’ 1973 “For the Love of Money” into a self-help message rap-albeit one filled with graphic violence. As Sticky Fingaz says on the title track, “If men are dogs / I'm the Rottweiler.” Shut ’Em Down is worthy. This time their beats are slightly more delicate, but Onyx are anything but soft."
Soren Baker
Soren Baker is an American journalist who has spent his career covering hip-hop. Best known for his six years as one of the main editors of The Source, Baker has had more than 3,500 articles published in such publications as The New York Times, ...
of
The Source
''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "Their third opus, Shut 'Em Down, arrives with a sound and attitude that lies somewhere between their first two projects. The excitement of “Raze It Up” and the gut-busting title track (which features yet another blazing performance from DМХ) will appeal to those thirsting for the rougher side of things. Onyx occasionally falter with their attempts at capturing the R&B/hip-hop aesthetic. Evidently, after watching most of their peers win with club songs, the bald-headed wonders decided to follow suit. “Ghetto Starz” features a guest appearance from the always lively Lost Boyz, while R. Kelly's “I Believe I Can Fly” gets a ghetto revamping on the bizarre “I Don't Wanna Die”. No question. the group is better suited when they stick to their guns and leave that club shit to P-Diddy and his Family. Flaunting a more expanded musical repertoire. Onyx's 'Shut 'Еm Down' will probably not overtake the current commercial stance of the rap game, but, for the most part, it serves as an appealing reminder of why this Q-borough crew blew up in the first place.
"Shut 'Em Down" is a favorite album of Onyx's
Sticky Fingaz
Kirk Jones (born November 3, 1973), better known by his stage name Sticky Fingaz, is an American hardcore rapper, record producer, and actor best known as a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
Sticky Fingaz was discovered by Jam ...
.
Track listing
;Notes
* "The Worst" contains a hidden track - "Overshine" which is track 18b here.
Personnel
Credits for ''Shut 'Em Down'' adapted from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
and CD booklet.
Shut 'Em Down credits adapted from the AllMusic review
/ref>
* Onyx — executive producer, primary artist, producer
* Jason Mizell — executive producer
* Randy Allen — executive producer
* Irv Gotti — A&R direction
* Khary "Eat 'Em Up" Lee — A&R direction
* Aaron Seawood — management
* Tom Coyne — mastering
* Jazz Young — marketing
* The Drawing Board — art direction, design
* Clay McBride — photography
* Connie Johnson — stylist
* Lydia High — project coordinator
* DJ LS One — scratches
* DMX — guest artist, performer, primary artist
* The Lost Boyz — guest artist
* Method Man — vocals
* Raekwon — vocals
* Bubba Smith — vocals
* Bud'da — producer
* DJ Scratch — producer
* Keith Horne — producer
* Patrick Viala — remixing
* Tony Black — mixing, remixing
* Don Elliott — engineer, mixing
* Ken "Duro" Ifill — engineer, mixing
* Vinny Nicoletti — mixing
* John Klemmer — sample source
* J.R. Cobb — composer
* Lowell Fulson — composer
* Erin Hinson — composer
* Ernie Isley — composer
* Chris Jasper — composer
* K. Jones — composer
* Jimmy McCracklin — composer
* Mr. Cheeks — composer
* J.B. Moore — composer
* Richard Rodgers — composer
* Fred Scruggs — composer
* Clifford Smith — composer
* George Spivey — composer
* T. Taylor — composer
* K. Walker — composer
* C. Woods — composer
Leftover tracks
Songs that were recorded in 1996-1997 during the "Shut 'Em Down" sessions but cut from the final album:
* "Mad World" (feat. Who$ane & X1) (prod. by Self Service)
* "My Time" by X1 (prod. by Self Service)
* "Hi Hoe"
* "Crime Stories"
* "Anything Goes"
* "See You In Hell"
* "See You In Hell, Pt. 2" (also known as "Livin' In Hell") (feat. X1)
* "Shut 'Em Down Remix" (Original Version) (feat. Noreaga, X1 and Big Pun) (prod. by Patrick Viala)
* "Wili'n Wili'n" (feat. All City and Gang Green)
* "Set It Str8" (feat. X1 and Dez from Gang Green)
* "Hydro" (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "Pussy On The Regular" (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "Take That" (Full Version) (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "Raze It Up" (Alternate Lyrics) (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "I Don't Wanna Die" (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "Love Of Money" (feat. X1 and Chocolate) (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "We Comin' Thru Ya'll" (prod. by Keith Horne)
* "Love Of Money '96" (feat. X1 and Chocolate) (Unreleased rock version with different lyrics)
* "Vissi D'Arte" (feat. Kathy Magestro) (prod. by Voelker Brothers)
* "Ghetto Starz" (feat. X1 and Mr. Cheeks) (prod. by Bud'da)
* "Hey!" (also known as "Bring It") (The Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
half time anthem) (prod. by Keith Horne)
Charts
Weekly charts
Singles chart positions
References
External links
Shut 'Em Down at RapGenius
Shut 'Em Down at Discogs
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1998 albums
Onyx (group) albums
JMJ Records albums
Def Jam Recordings albums
Albums produced by Bud'da
Albums produced by DJ Scratch