Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony or simply Bone Thugs is an American hip-hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone, the group signed with American rapper Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in late 1993 and made their debut with the EP Creepin on ah Come Up the following year.
In 1995, they released their second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included the hit singles "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999". Their song "Tha Crossroads", a tribute to their recently deceased mentor Eazy-E, earned them a Grammy Award in 1997. The group's third album, The Art of War, was released in 1997. In 2000, their album BTNHResurrection achieved platinum status in the United States within a month of its release, whereas their 2002 album, Thug World Order, saw more moderate success, attaining platinum certification and peaking at No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are known for helping pioneer the chopper rap style and the use of vocal harmony in rap music, as well as bringing exposure to Midwestern hip-hop. They are frequently cited as one of the greatest rap groups and have sold over 16 million records.
History
1993: B.O.N.E. Enterprise early years
Formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991, the group was originally called "Band Aid Boys". Charles Scruggs Jr., born February 17, 1975, joined the trio of Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Bizzy Bone under the name Wish Bone, and the group recorded an album titled Faces of Death under the name B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e after an obsolete Inglewood, California based group Layzie Bone was associated with. The album was recorded in the studio of their then-mentor, Kermit Henderson, and released on his indie label Stoney Burke in 1993. Like so many aspiring rappers around the country, they put in calls to executives at record companies, hoping to find someone who would listen. In hopes of securing a record deal, the group was given an audition over the phone, receiving an unfulfilled promise from rapper Eazy-E to call them back. Determined to reach him, they scrounged together the money for one-way bus tickets to Los Angeles. They left for a three-day Greyhound trek and spent four months on the city streets, putting in frequent calls to find him. Nothing came of their search except the news that Eazy-E was, in fact, on his way to Cleveland for a show.The quartet returned to Ohio, where Diego Blak, a marketer and promoter who had been co-executive producer of Faces of Death, introduced them to Eazy-E at a concert he promoted in Compton. There, on November 2, 1993, they auditioned for Eazy in his dressing room; Krayzie performed his verse of "Flow Motion" from the Faces of Death album, and Eazy was impressed. B.O.N.E Enterpri$e then traveled back to Los Angeles after the Cleveland show to seal the deal. At this point, Eazy renamed them Thugs-n-Harmony, but as they wanted to keep the Bone name, they made their name Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Eazy signed the group to his label Ruthless Records.
1994: ''Creepin on ah Come Up''
Released in June 1994, Creepin on ah Come Up was Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's debut with Ruthless. The album's subject matter was focused almost entirely on violent criminal activity. Peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, it included the hit singles "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" and "Foe tha Love of $", the second of which featured a verse by Eazy-E. "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, and "Foe tha Love of $" peaked at No. 39 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on Rap Tracks. After a slow start that saw the album's success limited to gangsta rap audiences, it broke through to the mainstream. The EP marked a major change in style for the group, as they now fully embraced the G-funk common in West Coast hip hop of the time. Beats were supplied by DJ Yella, Rhythum D, and Kenny McCloud, and it was the group's first collaboration with newcomer producer DJ U-Neek, who would craft the group's signature sound by producing the majority of their next two albums. For over a year, Eazy-E nurtured their career, continuing to serve as their executive producer and teaching them the business skills he had taught himself over the years. The growing relationship was cut short, however, when Eazy-E died on March 26, 1995, from complications from AIDS-related pneumonia. Briefly, the young rappers thought they had lost everything with the loss of their friend and mentor. However, the group's potential was apparent, and Ruthless Records continued to support them.1995–1997: ''E. 1999 Eternal'' and ''The Art of War''
In 1995, the group's second album, E. 1999 Eternal, was released. It included the singles "1st of tha Month", which peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on Hot Rap Tracks and "Tha Crossroads" which reached No. 1 on both the Hot 100 and Hot Rap Tracks charts. Tha Crossroads was the highest-debuting rap single ever when it entered the national singles chart at No, 2 and a week later became No, 1 making it the fastest single to rise to the top position on the charts since the Beatles with "Can't Buy Me Love" in 1964. The song earned them a Grammy Award. The album generally saw positive reviews from critics as Bone had diversified its content and musical style. Critics were particularly intrigued by the album due to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's ability to reduce the banality associated with gangsta rap in their music at a time when the subgenre had become exceedingly cliché. A considerable portion of the album's concept was built upon violent subject matter, yet they also incorporated deeper themes, as its songs dealt with more spirituality and occult mysticism. The album was produced by DJ U-Neek. E. 1999 Eternal also introduced Bone's trademark tracks devoted entirely to the use of marijuana. The album name originated from one of the street names of a corner that was a familiar hangout to Bone members, as well as Eazy-E's album Eternal E. Naming it after Eazy-E's album was just another way of showing respect and tribute to the rapper who had helped them reach success. Also in 1996, Flesh-n-Bone would become the first member of the group to release a debut album, titled T.H.U.G.S, which was certified gold by the RIAA. In 1996, due to their success, the Cleveland clan established their own label, Mo Thugs Records, and released the Family Scriptures compilation album to introduce many of the Cleveland-based and other artists whom they were developing. E. 1999 Eternal is the group's most commercially successful album; it has been certified 4× platinum by the RIAA.There were plans for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to collaborate with West Coast rapper 2Pac on a studio album titled One Nation. The project brought hip hop artists from all areas of the American map such as Boot Camp Clik, OutKast, Scarface, E-40, and more. However, 2Pac was shot and killed in September 1996 so the album never came into fruition. Bootlegs of songs produced while 2Pac was still alive have been distributed.
In 1997, the group released the double-disc set The Art of War. Bone explored a variety of subjects and styles, with focus on God and family and an overall ambient, mellow sound. The group incorporated violent lyrics, however, with a large portion of the album dedicated to what they labeled "clones" who claimed Bone had stolen their quick-tongued rapping style and vice versa. The album had been rumored to be titled "DNA Level C" which is Cleveland backward. The single "Look into My Eyes" appeared on the soundtrack of the film Batman & Robin. It peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. "If I Could Teach the World", the other single from The Art of War, peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks, and won an American Music Award. The album also included "Thug Luv" with Tupac Shakur.
1998–2001: ''The Collection: Volumes One & Two, BTNHResurrection'' and controversies
In 1998 to around 2000, the lyrical content of some of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's songs came under scrutiny, with their music being involved in the criminal trials of Michael Tisius and Mitchell Johnson. They also released The Collection and The Collection: Voume Two, with both compilation albums containing various hits the group had produced from the mid 90s to the early 2000s.In 2000, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released BTNHResurrection, featuring the single "Resurrection ", which peaked on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 52. The album's first half featured a slew of hardcore and dark tracks, with the second half being considerably more introspective and soft. Other singles from the album, including "Can't Give it Up", failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100, and the big-budget video for "Change the World" failed to receive any rotation. This was their first group album to prominently feature Flesh-n-Bone, whose presence had been limited on previous releases because he had never signed with the group's label, Ruthless Records. Flesh was convicted for assault with a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon in June 2000. Pleading guilty, Flesh was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The group again began having public disputes with Bizzy Bone. Bizzy Bone abstained from promoting BTNHResurrection because he felt that Ruthless Records owed him money. He dropped a million-dollar lawsuit he had filed against Sony Music and Loud Records in exchange for a termination of his Sony contract. Three members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released solo albums in 2001: Bizzy Bone with The Gift, Layzie Bone with Thug by Nature, and Krayzie Bone with Thug on da Line.
2002–2006: ''Thug World Order'' and ''Thug Stories''
In 2002, the group released Thug World Order. This album, comprising what were described "politically slanted" songs, saw a drastic change in subject matter and tone for the group. The lyrics were almost completely void of any violence, while a larger number of tracks focused on the group itself. In contrast, several songs originally intended to be included on the album that were leaked after its release portrayed a much different album. The album debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. The first single released from the album was "Money, Money" and the second was "Get Up & Get It", featuring 3LW. The third single, "Home", which featured Phil Collins performing part of his song "Take Me Home", peaked at No. 33 on the Rhythmic Top 40, impacting the charts in a number of countries, most notably the United Kingdom. Bizzy Bone was expelled from the group in January 2003, leaving only 3 active members: Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Thug World Order was also Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's final album with Ruthless Records.Thug Stories, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's seventh album, was recorded on Koch Records and released on September 19, 2006. It marked the first time Bone Thugs-n-Harmony had recorded as a trio since they released an internet-only EP album called Bone 4 Life in September 2005. Thug Stories featured a slightly more mature style, and the group leaned more heavily towards its harmonic roots than its "thug" origins. The album sold 38,000 in its first week and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart.