Big DS
{{short description|American rapper and record producer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Big DS
| image = Big DS (from ONYX).jpg
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Marlon G. Fletcher{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
| alias = Big D'Estical
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1971|07|29}}{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
| birth_place = Queens, New York City, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|5|22|1971|7|29}}
| death_place = Queens, New York City, U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Rapper
- record producer
}}
| years_active = 1988–2003
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| past_member_of = Onyx
| website =
}}
Marlon G. Fletcher (July 29, 1971 – May 22, 2003), better known under his stage name Big DS, was an American rapper and record producer from Queens, New York.
He was co-founder of the hardcore rap group Onyx. As a part of Onyx Big DS released one album "Bacdafucup" and 8 singles on JMJ Records and featured on 1993's Judgment Night (soundtrack). As a part of Onyx Big DS was nominated as "Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist" on American Music Awards of 1994 and won "Best Rap Album" on 1994 Soul Train Music Awards.
Early life
Fletcher was born in South Ozone Park, Queens. He studied at John Adams High School (Queens). 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.{{Cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSbl8WG4E_c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/HSbl8WG4E_c |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=ONYX - Interview on Kanal 4's Keynote with Trini Trimpop (Germany) (1993) (with Russian Subtitles) - 2:18| website=youtube.com |date=6 December 2016 |access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cbignore}} They began to make the first demos in the basement of B-Wiz with drum machine beats from an SP-12.{{Cite web|url=https://arena.com/article/onyx-mad-men|title=ONYX: Mad Men|website=arena.com|access-date=2018-07-30|archive-date=2018-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093232/https://arena.com/article/onyx-mad-men|url-status=dead}}
Career
In 1989, Onyx signed Jeffrey Harris as their manager, who helped them secure a contract with the label Profile Records.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} 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.{{Cite web| url= https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/10/17/235486095/the-year-onyxs-slam-crashed-pop-radio|title=The Year Onyx's 'Slam' Crashed Pop Radio| website=npr.org |access-date=2018-07-30}}
Big DS and Suave first met Jam Master Jay at Rev Run's wedding in 1990.{{Cite web| url= http://www.onyxdomain.com/?page_id=914|title=Hip Hop Connection Magazine #79 [September, 1995] - BALD IN THE UZA (by June Joseph)| website=onyxdomain.com |access-date=2018-08-14}} They met again in a traffic jam at The Jones Beach GreekFest Festival on July 13, 1991.{{Cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiM_tgCJhgw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/PiM_tgCJhgw |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Sonny Seeza Explains Why You Don't See Him With ONYX That Much Anymore| website=youtube.com |date=7 April 2016 |access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cbignore}} Jay gave them about two months to get a demo, but Suave and Big DS couldn't make it to the studio to record the demo.{{Cite book|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=QuOBbFeg0JIC&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.PA293.w.3.2.12|title=Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies (by Brian Coleman) - page 305|website=play.google.com|date=12 March 2009|publisher=Random House Publishing|isbn=9780307494429|access-date=2019-05-23}} They were replaced on the demo by Fredro Starr's cousin, Sticky Fingaz, who at that time was pursuing a solo career under the name Trop.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Fredro and Jones recorded two records for the demo, "Stik 'N' Muve" and "Exercise",{{Cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=i2Mw9RthEr0C&pg=PA179|title=I Am Hip-Hop - Conversations on the Music and Culture (by Andrew J. Rausch) (April 1, 2011) - page 179|isbn=9780810877924|access-date=2019-05-23|last1=Rausch|first1=Andrew J.|date=April 2011|publisher=Scarecrow Press }} which Jam Master Jay liked enough to sign the group to his label, JMJ Records.{{Cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCXezVdYqUU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/hCXezVdYqUU |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Onyx on Sticky Fingaz Joining the Group, Jam Master Jay Signing Them (Part 2)| website=youtube.com |date=14 February 2018 |access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cbignore}}
Big DS left the group in 1994 to start a solo career.{{Cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pS_8f3YnEY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/7pS_8f3YnEY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Onyx on Being Paranoid and Wearing Bullet Proof Vests, Big DS Leaving Group (Part 6)| website=youtube.com |date=13 March 2018 |access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cbignore}} Big DS founded his own label Illyotic Music and started producing music. After recording a few demos, Big DS sent them to Jimmy Iovine, co-owner of Interscope Records, in the hope of signing a contract with his label for the release of the album.
Death
On May 22, 2003, Big DS died in a hospital in Queens after receiving chemotherapy as a result of lymphatic cancer at 31 years old.{{Cite web| url= https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.1764/title.onyx-member-loses-cancer-battle#signup|title=Onyx Member Loses Cancer Battle| website=hiphopdx.com |date=28 May 2003|access-date=2018-07-30}}{{Cite web| url= http://www.contactmusic.com/onyx/news/founding-onyx-member-dead-after-cancer-battle|title=Hip-Hop Band Founder Big DS Passes Away From Cancer| website=contactmusic.com |date=28 May 2003|access-date=2018-07-30}}{{Cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHwZJKmu6Ek |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/FHwZJKmu6Ek |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Onyx on Losing Former Member Big DS to Cancer at 31, X1 Committing Suicide (Part 11)| website=youtube.com |date=30 March 2018 |access-date=2018-07-30}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bet.com/articles/0,,c2sc25gb6238-7173,00.html|title=Former Member Of Onyx Dies (by Chuck 'Jigsaw' Creekmur, BET.Com Staff Writer)|website=BET|access-date=2020-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030618103653/http://www.bet.com/articles/0,,c2sc25gb6238-7173,00.html|archive-date=2003-06-18|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.muchmusic.com/news/?thedate=5/26/2003#1|title=Onyx Loses Big DS|website=muchmusic.com|access-date=2020-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030727160151/http://www.muchmusic.com/news/?thedate=5%2F26%2F2003#1|archive-date=2003-07-27|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=1925|title=Onyx Group Member Succumbs To Cancer (by Nolan Strong) (5/23/2003)|website=allhiphop.com|access-date=2020-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030525211625/http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=1925|archive-date=2003-05-25|url-status=dead}}
Discography
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Award ! Nominated work ! Category ! Result |
|---|
| align=center | 1994
| American Music Awards of 1994 | "Bacdafucup" | Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist | {{nom}} |
| align=center | 1994
| 1994 Soul Train Music Awards | "Bacdafucup" | Best Rap Album | {{win}} |
Filmography
=Video game appearances=
References
External links
- [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Marlon+Fletcher Marlon Fletcher at Discogs]
- {{discogs artist}}
- {{IMDb name|3348333|Big D.S.}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big DS}}
Category:African-American male rappers
Category:21st-century American male rappers
Category:20th-century American male rappers
Category:Rappers from Queens, New York
Category:Hardcore hip-hop artists
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:20th-century African-American musicians