Throw Ya Gunz

"Throw Ya Gunz" is the first single by American hip hop group Onyx from their debut album, Bacdafucup. It was released on November 27, 1992 by JMJ Records, Rush Associated Labels and Chaos Recordings. The song signifies the Jamaican tradition of a gun salute as a show of respect to the men on the mic.

"Throw Ya Gunz"
Single by Onyx
from the album Bacdafucup
B-side"Blac Vagina Finda"
ReleasedNovember 27, 1992
Recorded1992
StudioApollo Studios (NYC)
Genrehardcore rap, gangsta rap, East Coast hip hop
Length3:16
LabelJMJ Records
Rush Associated Labels
Chaos Recordings
Songwriter(s)Fred Scruggs
Kirk Jones
Tyrone Taylor
Chylow Parker
Producer(s)Chylow Parker
Onyx singles chronology
"Ah, And We Do It Like This"
(1990)		 "Throw Ya Gunz"
(1992)		 "Slam"
(1993)
Music video
"Throw Ya Gunz" on YouTube

Produced by Chylow Parker, "Throw Ya Gunz" was a success and made it to four Billboard charts, including #1 on the Hot Rap Singles for two weeks. The song achieved even greater success in the UK, where it peaked at #34 on the UK Top 40 in 1993.

The song was used as a promo for the 18th season of the American animated sitcom South Park. The song was sampled by more than 50 rap artists including Jeru The Damaja, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Vinnie Paz and A$AP Mob. "Throw Ya Gunz" is featured in a 1993 Forest Whitaker's award-winning HBO drama Strapped and in a 2003 video game Def Jam Vendetta.

Original version

The original version was not available on any of Onyx's studio albums. It was recorded featuring a little-known New York's rapper Tek-9 and was called "Wake Up Dead, Nigga". Tek-9 had the opening verse and some hook on Jamaican on the second demo version.

The song was recorded in the studio of NYC's legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, as well as seven other songs from Bacdafucup.

Lyrical content and message

The song signifies the Jamaican tradition of a gun salute as a show of respect to the men on the mic. Def Jam/RAL director of A&R Traci Waples says, "The phrase isn't about violence; it's a way to salute hip-hop". (from Billboard magazine - May 15, 1993)

In 1995, in an interview on BET's Teen Summit Sticky Fingaz explains the meaning of this song: "Throw Ya Gunz" is a salute to hip hop. Just like in the army. Because this is war out there. So we are army. We got a 21-gun salute to all the people who is dead. It's not about pro-violence. I'm not saying throw your guns and shoot the next brother, i'm saying throw your guns in the air. They think a gun is a violent instrument, which is not. Guns don't kill people! People kill people!

Despite the fact that the song is dark, the music is jazz-based. The foundation of the song is the oft-used Bob James, not to mention the frequent horn stabs. But the album would turn that jazz sound on its head.[1]

Radio

In November 1992, the single was delivered to radio, and although it was getting played, program directors "were complaining" about the profanity and violence in the lyrics. Julie Greenwald, Lyor Cohen's assistant, remembers that time:[2]

"...Nobody wanted to play [the video], but the places it did get played, it was so reactive, and so potent. We circumvented it with the vinyl out on the streets and with the video at the local video outlets, and we got such major response off that, and we knew that we were developing something so cool."

Hip hop editor Dart Adams wrote an article about Onyx, where he remembered the first appearance of a song in radio rotation: "Throw Ya Gunz" spread like wildfire on the airwaves, starting on college Rap shows then to mixshows and regular rotation on the major radio stations. The video went from being played just on "Rap City" to playing on almost all of the BET video shows except for "Video Soul". As the song got more popular, a backlash occurred coinciding with when it finally was released commercially in late November 1992. Due to pressure from parents groups and others still reeling from the recent Warner Bros./Cop Killer Controversy & the L.A. Riots that happened the previous Spring, BET opted to blur out the guns in "Throw Ya Gunz".[3]

Funkmaster Flex was one of the first djs who played "Throw Ya Gunz" on his show Friday Night Street Jam on the radio Hot 97. Especially for this show, Onyx recorded a promo jingle for the radio.[4][5]

The song also played on The Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show before the single was officially released.[6]

WPGC-FM (95.5), Washington's top-rated radio station, rejected Onyx's hit single "Throw Ya Guns in the Air" and no longer plays songs that could be construed as advocating violence.[7]

Music video

The music video was Diane Martel's directorial debut,[8] and was chosen by Method Man and Redman as their #1 favorite rap video of all time.[9][10] The video was shot in South Jamaica, Queens, NYC. Russell Simmons was the first rap CEO to appear in his artist's video. In the video shooting were used a real guns, which Jam Master Jay brought to the shooting: Tec-9's, Mac-10's and other guns. The music video begins with a group of people running on the beach. Onyx performs on the beach and in a darkened room. A large group of people dance with the song.[11] Sticky Fingaz came up with idea to use Plexiglas during filming the video. The video was premiered on The BOX in December 1992.[12]

In 1993, in an interview with the magazine Hip-Hop Connection, Sonny Seeza told how difficult it was to act in this video:[13][14]

"...When we were doing the video for "Throw Ya Gunz" it was a real cold New York night of about 30 degrees (30 °F = -1 °C), explains Suave, but everybody still came out to represent. At the end of the night it was freezing so we all just started slamming. It turned into one big slam - the adrenaline built up, the warmth built up and the love built up. And that’s why the next song we brought out was "Slam".

The video can be found on the 2008's DVD Onyx: 15 Years Of Videos, History And Violence and on the 2009's Def Jam's DVD Def Jam 25: VJ Bring That Video Back.

Appearances

On April 25, 1994 Onyx was nominated for five awards on The Source's "1st annual Source Awards" at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden, but the group walked out of the building without nothing. Therefore, during performing the song "Throw Ya Gunz", Sticky Fingaz shot it up literally on stage. After this show security guards rushed him, looking for a gun, that they would never find. Incident was captured on the amateur camera. It was non-televised, but "Yo! MTV Raps" and "Video Explosion" was there and showed some excerpts on TV.

Onyx performed the song live on the UK TV-show "The Word" aired on November 19, 1993.

"Throw Ya Gunz" was performed live on the Def Jam Recordings 30th Anniversary Concert at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on October 16, 2014.

The song was performed live on the concert Yo! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 1, 2018.

Legacy

Fredro Starr knew that the song will be successful:[15]

"...With that beat on "Throw Ya Gunz", I knew it was going to be a serious record. I knew it would be big, a hip-hop anthem, because that's what we made it for. We planned it out. It was for the streets, it was energetic, and it was grimy. That single went gold, so Def Jam was very happy about that."

In 1993, in an interview for NBC News about gangsta rap, Russell Simmons quotes the Sticky Fingaz's lines from "Throw Ya Gunz": The fact that there's a lot of gangster records right now, there's a lot of voices from people who had no voice before. Sticky Fingaz said 'I hate your guts and I hope you die, my name is Sticky Fingaz my life is a lie'. I want you to feel it in your chest, i want you understand he is a third generation forty projects, he's dead man. Maybe if they do jobs there, they wouldn't be an angry, but in the meantime he might rob you, that's a reality that white Americans has to live with, that's a reality that kids and boys just beginning to understand.

In 2010, Fat Joe share the story about how he first heard the Onyx's song "Throw Ya Gunz" in Club 2000 in Harlem, NYC, saying "it was one of the most classic hip-hop events I've ever been to".[16]

The song was used as a promo for the 18th season of the American animated sitcom South Park. A visionary creative director Robert Sosin told why he chose this song:[17]

"...For the South Park campaign of 2014, we wanted a clear simple message to get people to tune in and a visual theme that could unite creative across many platforms. The message I came up was HEADS UP and the image was the iconic South Park heads. For this promo spot we used 298 different heads from South Park and licensed Onyx's track "Throw Ya Gunz", and then designer Brandon Campbell was able to take my direction of "Think fallen leaves on top of a speaker, rippling as they are moved by the bass waves" and turn it into this club banger."

The song was sampled by more than 50 rap artists including Jeru The Damaja, Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Vinnie Paz and A$AP Mob.[18]

The song is featured in a 1993 Forest Whitaker's award-winning HBO drama Strapped and in a 2003 video game Def Jam Vendetta.[19]

Accolades

In 1999, Ego Trip's editors ranked the song in their list Hip Hop's 40 Greatest Singles by Year 1993 in Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists.[20] In 2003, The Source Magazine placed the song in their list Top 151 Rap Songs of All-Time.[21] In 2008, Time Out's editors put the song in their book 1000 Songs to Change Your Life.[22] In 2010, Robert Dimery included the song in his book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download.[23] In 2010, Complex put the video on the song in their list The Biggest Arsenals in Rap Videos.[24] In 2011, XXL placed the song in their list Top 250 Rap Songs of the '90s.[25] In 2016, XXL put the song in their list 50 Violent Rap Lyrics That Will Make You Cringe.[26]

  • The information regarding accolades attributed to Throw Ya Gunz is adapted from Acclaimed Music.[27]
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Ego Trip United States Hip Hop's 40 Greatest Singles by Year 1980-98 1999 8
The Source Magazine Top 151 Rap Songs of All Time 2003 144
Time Out 1000 Songs to Change Your Life 2008 *
Robert Dimery 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download 2010 *
XXL Top 250 Rap Songs of the '90s 2011 51
XXL 50 Violent Rap Lyrics That Will Make You Cringe 2016 *

Single track listing

A-Side
  1. "Throw Ya Gunz" (Radio Version) - 3:17
  2. "Throw Ya Gunz" (LP Version) - 3:14
  3. "Throw Ya Gunz" (Instrumental) - 3:17

B-Side
  1. "Blac Vagina Finda" (LP Version) - 3:13
  2. "Blac Vagina Finda" (Instrumental) - 3:10

Personnel
  • Onyx - performer, vocals
  • Fredro Starr - performer, vocals
  • Sticky Fingaz - performer, vocals
  • Sonee Seeza - performer, vocals
  • Big DS - performer, vocals
  • Jason Mizell - executive producer, producer ("Blac Vagina Finda")
  • Randy Allen - executive producer
  • Chylow Parker - producer
  • Tony Dawsey - mastering
  • Troy Hightower - engineer
  • Norman Bullard - assistant engineer

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 81
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)[29] 61
US Hot Rap Singles (Billboard)[30] 1
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[31] 24
US Radio Rap Singles (Gavin Report)[32] 11
US Gavin Rap Retail Singles (Gavin Report)[33] 4
US Top 30 Rap Singles (Cashbox)[34] 2
UK Top 40[35] 34
UK European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[36] 79
gollark: Hi?
gollark: > harvard isn't a german universittyYET.
gollark: You could probably just go to whatever university is reasonably good and cheap near you and say "studied economics" and nobody would care much.
gollark: Again, probably not several hundred kilo$ in benefit there.
gollark: I mean, yes, but possibly not several hundred kilodollars handy.

References
  1. "Sampling: The Technology & Sounds (part 2)". medium.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  2. "Def Jam, Inc., Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World's Most Inf (by Stacy Gueraseva) - page 227". play.google.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  3. "Onyx & The Mad Face Invasion: The 20th Anniversary Of "Bacdafucup"". bastardswordsman.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  4. "14 Records broken during the VIBE era by famed N.Y.C. radio/club DJ Funkmaster Flex". books.google.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  5. "Travel Back To A Funkmaster Flex Playlist With ONYX, Redman & Kool G Rap (Mix)". ambrosiaforheads.com. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  6. "The Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show (Thursday, November 19th, 1992)". stretchandbobbito.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  7. "SHOOTING BACK AT GANGSTA RAP - The Washington Post". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  8. "Diane Martel - Interview for VIBE - December, 2003". books.google.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  9. "Diane Martel - Other Works". imdb.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  10. "Diane Martel Net Worth". biographynetworth.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  11. "Onyx: Throw Ya Gunz". imdb.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  12. "A Brief History Of Def Jam Recordings on The BOX". books.google.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  13. "Hip-Hop Connection Magazine, Issue #56 - October, 1993 - HHC 1993 : Onyx - Slam Dancing - page 14". hiphop-thegoldenera.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  14. "Hip-Hop Connection Magazine, Issue #56 - October, 1993 - HHC 1993 : Onyx - Slam Dancing - page 14". tumblr.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  15. "Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies (by Brian Coleman) - page 310". books.google.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  16. "Fat Joe On How Onyx Brought Peace To Harlem". rapdirt.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  17. "SOUTH PARK 18:HEADS UP". sosincerely.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  18. "Throw Ya Gunz by Onyx". whosampled.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  19. "10 Best Hip-Hop Video Game Soundtracks Of All Time". hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  20. "Hip Hop's 40 Greatest Singles by Year (1999)". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  21. "The Source – Top 151 Rap Songs of All-Time (2003)". acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  22. "Time Out - 1000 Songs to Change Your Life (2008)". acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  23. "Robert Dimery - 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download (2010)". books.google.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  24. "They Shootin'! The Biggest Arsenals in Rap Videos". complex.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  25. "XXL Magazine - 250 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of the 90s". boards.brownpride.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  26. "50 Violent Rap Lyrics That Will Make You Cringe". xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  27. "Acclaimed Music - Throw Ya Gunz". Acclaimed Music.
  28. "Hot 100 (Billboard) April 3rd, 1993". billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  29. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) April 3rd, 1993". billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  30. "Hot Rap Songs (Billboard) April 3rd, 1993". billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  31. "Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) April 3rd, 1993". billboard.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  32. "Radio Rap Singles (Gavin Report) February 26, 1993" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  33. "Gavin Rap Retail Singles (Gavin Report) March 26, 1993" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  34. "Top 30 Rap Singles (Cashbox) March 27, 1993" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  35. "UK Top 40, November 27, 1993". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  36. "Music & Media, December 4, 1993" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
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