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 Run-D.M.C. who signed Onyx on his label JMJ Records.

Onyx went on to release three top selling albums before Fredro began his solo career.

Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. was born in Kings County Hospital Center on April 18, 1971.

He grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

In 1984, at the age of 13, he moved with his brother David Scruggs (also known as Who$ane) to South Jamaica, Queens.

Between 1984 and 1988, Fredro Starr studied at John Adams High School (Queens).

Other students at John Adams High School included Marlon Fledtcher (also known as Big DS), Tyrone Taylor (also known as Suave and Sonny Seeza), Mr. Cheeks and Freaky Tah.

Fredro first met Suave at the battle in Ajax Park (Jamaica, New York) (now called "Dr. Charles R. Drew Park").

Fred started out doing breakdancing after watching the movie "Beat Street" (1984), he was known by the name Magic.

In late 1985 Fredro Starr decided to become a street poet after watching the movie "Krush Groove" (1985).

He was inspired by the style of LL Cool J.

For the first time, Fredro picked up a microphone in 1986 on the basketball court in the Baisley Park in Queens where he rhymed with his friends Cocheeks (also known as Mr. Cheeks), Freaky Tah, Dot-a-Rock, Spank G and Panama P.I. (also known as Big Prince) under live mixes of GrandMasta Vic and CutMasta JT.

In this place were usually held jams, and often there were shoot-outs, but this did not stop anyone.

Fredro was then known as Kool Fredro.

In an interview with Brian Coleman, Fredro Starr remembers:

In 1986, Fred started working at "Nu Tribe Barbershop" on Jamaica Avenue in Queens.

His younger cousin Kirk Jones (also known as Sticky Fingaz) joined him as a barber three years later after moving from Brooklyn to Queens.

At "Nu Tribe Barbershop" Fred had to cut local drug dealers from Supreme Team (gang), as well as celebrities such as Kool G Rap, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and others.

In 1988, after graduating from school at the age of 17, Fredro Starr created the rap group Onyx along with his schoolmates Big DS and Suavé (also known as Sonny Seeza).

Big DS came up with the name for the group, he named it after the black stone Onyx.

They began to make the first demos in the basement of B-Wiz with drum machine beats from an SP-12.

In 1989, Onyx signed Jeffrey Harris as their manager, who helped them secure a contract with the label Profile Records.

In 1990, at York Studio in Brooklyn, they recorded their first single, "Ah, And We Do It Like This", which was released to low sales on April 25, 1990, on Profile.

Fredro Starr, Big DS and Suave (also known as Sonny Seeza) met Jam Master Jay in a traffic jam at The Jones Beach GreekFest Festival on July 13, 1991.

Jay give them about two months to get a demo, but Suave and Big DS they didn't make it to the studio because they were stranded in Connecticut.

So Jeff Harris, the manager of Onyx, asked Fredro to come to the studio with his cousin, Kirk Jones, who at the time was doing a solo career under the name Trop and working in the barbershop making a thousand dollars a week cutting high school.

Fredro and Sticky Fingaz made two records, "Stik 'N' Muve" and "Exercise".

In this barbershop Fred and Kirk made money until they heard on the radio their song "Throw Ya Gunz" in November 1992.

At the same time Fredro along with his cousin Kirk Jones, then known as Trop, visited the nightclubs of New York.

The guys wore green dreadlocks and dressed in Dr. Martens boots.

In an interview with Unkut, hip hop artist B-1 described his friendship with Fredro and Sticky:

As a part of Onyx, Fredro Starr was nominated as "Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist" on American Music Awards of 1994 and won "Best Rap Album" on 1994 Soul Train Music Awards.

Fredro Starr has starred in more than 55 films and television shows.

He made his acting debut in the HBO drama Strapped.

His film credits include Spike Lee's Clockers, Sunset Park, Ride, Light It Up, Save the Last Dance and Torque.

He also performed the Save the Last Dance's theme song, "Shining Through", with Jill Scott on the multi-platinum soundtrack.

Starr made his television debut in Law & Order and New York Undercover, but he is known for his role of Quentin 'Q' Brooks on UPN's Moesha starring R&B singer Brandy.

He also appeared in HBO's The Wire, NYPD Blue, Blade, and CSI: Miami.

Fredro also co-hosted Dance 360, a daily, half-hour urban dance competition show on Paramount Television.