Today in Hip Hop history we celebrate the birth of one of the culture’s most under-rated icons, Sticky Fingaz. As a rapper, actor, producer, and film director, Sticky has had his fingers in many different aspects of rap culture. Since his career began, in 1988 with Onyx, Sticky Fingaz’s hard work and determination has kept him in the upper rungs of pop culture, continuously earning a paycheck.
Sticky Fingaz was born Kirk Jones in Brooklyn, New York. prior to rapping, he and his cousin Fredro Starr, fellow Onyx member, worked in the well-known Nu-Tribe barber shop. In 1991 Fingaz officially became apart of the iconic Queens trio Onyx. With their new four man front, Onyx released their multi-platinum debut Bacdafucup which peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Onyx went on to release five more albums, including the #10 hit Shut ‘Em Down. In 2001, Fingaz began to test the waters as a solo artist and released his debut, Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones. Foreshadowing his film career, his album was a fictional narrative following the slightly exaggerated of the character Kirk Jones. The plot moved as smoothly as any hood movie, beginning with Jones’ release from prison and ending in his untimely death. The album featured artists Eminem, Raekwon, Redman, and Cannibus. The album peaked at #44 on the Billboard 200. His second solo release, Decade: “…but wait it gets worse”, did not receive the acclaim of its predecessor. It peaked at #174 on the Billboard 200.
In 1993, Sticky Fingaz appeared in his first film cameo in the crime drama Strapped. From then he went on to make a few small role appearances in films Clockers, Dead Presidents, Ride, and In Too Deep. In 2000 he got his biggest role to date, playing Tyrone in Ice Cube‘s Next Friday. Following his hilarious performance in the Friday sequel, Fingaz was booked for 18 film roles over the next five years including: No Limit Films‘ Lockdown, Leprechaun: Back 2 to the Hood, Gas, Flight of the Pheonix, and House of Dead 2. In 2009, Fingaz directed and wrote his first film, A Day in the Life, starring Mekhi Phifer and Omar Epps.
Fingaz also has an extensive television acting career going back to 1998. He’s worked on New York Underground, The Parkers, The Twilight Zone, The Shield, Over There, and 2006 he landed the lead role in Blade: The Series. Since he has had a few roles in crime dramas such as Law & Order and Rizzoli & Isles. His voice was also used in Def Jam: Fight For NY and Def Jam: Icon.
Sticky Fingaz’s career is one that if not caught early, might have gone unnoticed. Nevertheless, through his ability to constantly find a new lane to earn in a new place for his brand, Kirk Jones has been able to remain relevant in a era where one tweet gone wrong can ruin a career. Today we celebrate his life. From everyone here at TheSource.com and The Source Magazine, HAppy Birthday Kirk, may you seen many more years of success.
