Sticky Fingaz – [Blacktrash] The Autobiography of Kirk Jones

Sticky Fingaz - [Blacktrash] The Autobiography of Kirk JonesOnyx member Sticky Fingaz (real name Kirk Jones) released his first solo album in 2001 on Universal Records. The concept of the album was to showcase the life of fictional charecter Kirk Jones:

1. Intro 

Sets the stage to the album concept with the Universal Pictures “Feature Presentation” sound. Skit explains Kirk Jones being released from prison. He shows up at an old homies house and they decide to head out to celebrate.

2. Come On – Production: Self 

One of the best tracks on the album, it’s a grimy hardcore pump you up style track. The sound brings you into the club with Kirk Jones. “Oh you ain’t know/ Sticky Fingaz went solo” are the first words on the album and sets the stage for the griminess of the album. Lyrics are straight fire, production is bangin. In the track Kirk runs into an old beef, he tries to get his boy to back him but the friend won’t. He instead gives Kirk Jones a gun.

3. My Dogz Iz My Gunz – Production: Joe Naughty

A track about guns being a man’s best friend, after his boy won’t back him outside the club. Black Child lays down a nice verse to complement the dark track.

4. Not Die’n – Production: Self 

After the beef outside the club, Kirk Jones is shot. He refuses to go out like that and feels invincible in the track. Nice track with hard lyrics, the song also brings you into the mindstate of Kirk Jones. Bangin hard track.

5. Kirk Jones Conscience

Omar Epps narrates the flow of thought through the mind of Kirk Jones while he smokes some weed 2 weeks after the shooting. It blends into a skit of Kirk finding his place robbed on Christmas Eve.

6. Money Talks ft. Raekwon – Production: Rockwilder 

This track is being told in the first person from the view of money itself. Raekwon drops a perfect guest appearance. The song really makes you think, great beat, nice lyrics. One of the album’s shining moments.

7. Why? ft. X1 and Still Livin – Production: DJ Scratch 

Kirk Jones purchases a gun and catches up with an old friend. Song itself is their conversation about the old days. Kirk convinces him to give him a ride but gets him to be a getaway driver in a jewelry store robbery. During getaway, they crash and his boy dies. Not the greatest sounding track, but the most important one to the concept of the album. The meaning makes up for any missteps in the track.

8. Oh My God – Production: Sticky Fingaz/Self 

Kirk’s conscience catches up with him and he questions life in the track. God answers all his questions. A tight track with deep meaning, lyrics and production. Has a weak chorus, but intentional as it reflects the mindframe of Kirk Jones at the moment. Kirk gets arrested.

9. State vs. Kirk Jones ft. Canibus, Rah Digga and Redman – Production: Nottz 

Rah Digga plays the judge, Canibus the prosecutor and Redman the defense. One of, if not the best track on the album. All verses run perfectly together and gives you the entire court proceedings. Canibus shines on this. Kirk Jones found guilty.

10. Kirk Jones Conscience 2 

Omar Epps again plays Kirk’s mind. This time Kirk contemplates his choices that brought him to jail, and the people he left behind.

11. Baby Brother ft. Dave Hollister – Production: DJ Scratch

Kirk places a call to his younger brother trying to talk him out of the route he himself chose. Nice production, soulful chorus to reflect his heartfelt plea to his brother who is in the everyday struggle. Call turns ugly.

12. Cheatin – Production: Rockwilder

Kirks girl visits him in prison. While he thought she was holding it down for him, she has other news. The spiral continues for Kirk Jones. An angry track about cheating. Tight production and lyrics.

13. What Chu Want ft. X1 – Production: Buddah 

Track about everything Kirk Jones wanted in life that took him to prison. Nice flows by Sticky and X1 as they mention everything you could ever want. “Want to beg Makaveli to come back from the dead” for example. Tight track.

14. Ghetto ft. Petey Pablo – Production: Spyda Man 

After 10 years locked up Kirk is released from prison only to find he isn’t welcome back in the streets after everything he did. This track is mad hilarious, the comic relief to a dark album. It plays off Jeff Foxworthy’s redneck bit, except about being ghetto. Funny track with tight lyrics and production.

15. What If I Was White ft. Eminem – Production: Damon Elliot 

Kirk Jones robs someone looking for a drug deal. This track is another bit of comic relief to a album filled with a dark struggle. Hilarious lyrics and Eminem adlibs the chorus and background. One of the top tracks easily.

16. Sister I’m Sorry ft. Choclatt – Production: Big D Evans

Kirk gets into big argument with his girl. After she makes a crack about his now dead brother he hits her. The track is very reminiscent of 2Pac’s “Keep Ya Head Up”. He talks about women being strong and apoligizes for all the evils men do. Good chorus. Excellent track.

17. Get It Up ft. Fredro Starr – Production: DJ Scratch 

Kirk robs and kills another store owner. 1st single off the album. Hard lyrics, banging beats, the video for the track is off the chain and it explains at that point Kirk is running from the cops. Another killer track.

18. Kirk Jones Conscience 3 

Third installment of self reflection narrated by Omar Epps. This time around, Kirk relfects going back to jail, but this time he’d rather die.

19. Licken Off In HipHop ft. Columbo 

Production: Punch – A dual meaning in this song. Sticky Fingaz making his hustle off the rap game, Kirk Jones off the streets. A personal reflection on the two roads he could have chosen in his life. He chose being Sticky Fingaz in real life. Kirk Jones is what he would have been without rap. Nice flow, but production could be better. Makes you think.

20. Wonderful World

Police find Kirk. Instead of firing at the cops, he turns it on himself. Game over. Sticky butchers Louis Armstong’s “Wonderful World”, but that’s the point. Life is hard.

From concept to delivery this album scores big. It tells the tragic story of Kirk Jones and the harshness of life. The album follows the story perfectly and the concept not altered. The guest rappers all play their parts in the story perfectly. The production never skips a beat. It’s basically a rap musical and it’s pulled off nicely. In just over an hour Sticky Fingaz delivers an epic Hollywood dreams of. In a time where albums follow no idea and are filled with fillers you wish more would follow Sticky’s lead. Even the booklet itself lends a hand to the album. The story is illustrated in pictures in the credits. While it says “movie coming soon” we can safely assume it isn’t happening due to lackluster sales. A damn shame it would make the album rap’s greatest movie soundtrack. Be sure to check out Sticky’s thank you’s, where he philsophizes for a minute. Either the man is crazy or a mad genius.

In the end the album was highly slept on but cannot be considered any less than it is. Classic.

4.5 out of 5.

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