Onyx - Da Nex Niguz

What this video is

Released in November 1993 as the fourth single from Onyx's platinum debut 'Bacdafucup,' 'Da Nex Niguz' arrived at the commercial peak of East Coast hardcore hip-hop's crossover into mainstream MTV culture. Onyx — formed in 1988 in New York City — distinguished themselves through an extreme aesthetic: shaved heads, confrontational aggression, and gritty urban imagery that stood in deliberate contrast to more…

Why it matters

A culturally significant artifact of early-90s East Coast hardcore rap at its commercial apex. The video exemplifies the genre's street-documentary aesthetic — neighborhood exteriors, minimal production gloss, aggressive performance energy — that defined Def Jam's visual identity in 1993. Onyx's…

The director

Brett Ratner (born 1969, Miami Beach, FL) graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 1990. He launched his career directing hip-hop and rap music videos in the early 1990s, working with artists including Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, D'Angelo, Puff Daddy, Mariah…