In an exclusive interview with The Art of Dialogue, hip-hop veteran Fredro Starr dropped a bombshell that has the music industry buzzing. The Onyx rapper revealed that he should have taken legal action against none other than Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, two iconic figures who inadvertently cost him a jaw-dropping $1 million deal.
The chronic tour debacle
Back in 1993, the hip-hop world was ablaze with excitement as Dr. Dre embarked on his groundbreaking Chronic Tour. The lineup was a who’s who of rap royalty: Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC, and the late Bo$$ joined forces with Onyx to create an unforgettable experience for fans. But little did anyone know that this tour would take an unexpected turn.
The Chronic Tour promised riches beyond imagination. Onyx was poised to rake in mad cash, leaving no room for regrets. However, fate had other plans. Just a handful of dates into the tour, disaster struck. A driver was kidnapped—allegedly by members of Tha Doggfather’sentourage—and chaos ensued. The tour was abruptly canceled, leaving everyone stunned.
The lost millions
Fredro Starr, already frustrated at having turned down a role in the Michelle Pfeiffer movie Dangerous Minds to be part of the tour, found himself in a precarious situation.
“Tour was over. Canceled. We had a whole tour. We were supposed to make mad money, n-gga, he recounted. I stopped doing Dangerous Minds, all that sh*t. Dangerous Minds blew up. If the tour went well, I wouldn’t be upset about that sh*t, but the tour didn’t go well.”
But the financial blow didn’t end there. Onyx had just inked a lucrative merch deal worth a staggering $1 million. The merchandise was ready to fly off the shelves, but fate had other plans. The canceled tour meant they couldn’t sell the merch. Worse yet, they were slapped with a lawsuit by their partners.
“Somebody had to pay, and it was us, Fredro lamented.”
Missed opportunities and legal regrets
The question that haunts Fredro Starr to this day is: Why didn’t they sue? Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, as key players in the tour, were arguably liable for its cancellation.
“We should have sued Dr. Dre and Snoop and them n*gg*s, Fredro asserted. They were responsible for the tour falling apart. Somebody had to be held accountable.”
The brief but turbulent Chronic Tour of 1993 remains etched in hip-hop history. Suge Knight, the former Death Row boss, even claimed that he facilitated Dre and Snoop’s acquisition of firearms during the tour. The drama unfolded, leaving Fredro Starr with regrets and a missed fortune.
As we reflect on this forgotten chapter of hip-hop lore, one thing is clear: missed opportunities can haunt even the most seasoned artists. Fredro Starr’s cautionary tale serves as a reminder to protect your bag, even when the stars align. And perhaps, just perhaps, a lawsuit could have changed the course of hip-hop history.
Watch the full interview below
