Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is a Grammy award winning American hip hop group from Cleveland, Ohio. It consists of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E, former member of rap group N.W.A, signed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Ruthless Records in late 1993, when Bone Thugs debuted with EP Creepin on ah Come Up. The EP included the hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone".
Bone's style can be described as melodic, yet rapid-fire and gangsta. Their flow is often interwoven at a high-speed Chopper style, melodic pace or slow, harmonic pace. They also tend to ride the beat that they're rapping over. They often describe their style as the "flip flop flow". Sometimes there are very few choruses separating their verses from one another. In the beginning, circa Faces of Death, Bone used a pseudo-Jamaican patois delivery with their trademark style, though they rarely do this now. Bone's subject matter has both spiritual and occult undertones (e.g., "Hell Sent", "Intro", "Mr. Ouija", "Mr. Ouija 2" and "Da Introduction"). At first, their subject matter was almost always exclusively about violence, death and smoking marijuana. Today, however, their subject matter includes other topics such as urban socio-political issues, positive messages, their old friend and mentor Eazy-E and religion. Besides minor changes to subject matter and sound, their lyrical style, elocution, and overall methodology remain intact and have influenced many new artists today who have picked up this unique style.
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 except the news that Eazy-E was, in fact, on his way to Cleveland for a show. Diego Blak (born Diego Hodge), a marketer and promoter and co-executive producer of Faces Of Death introduced them to Eazy-E at a concert he promoted in Cleveland, Ohio where they auditioned for him in his dressing room and then traveled back to Los Angeles, California after the show to seal the deal. On November 2, 1993, the group auditioned backstage for Eazy-E. Krayzie Bone performed his verse of "Flow Motion" from the Faces of Death album and Eazy-E was impressed. At this point Eazy named them Thugs-n-Harmony, but they wanted to keep the bone name so they renamed themselves Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Eazy-E signed the group (minus Flesh-n-Bone) to his label Ruthless Records.
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. Briefly, the young rappers thought they had lost everything with the loss of their friend. However, the group’s potential was already apparent, and Ruthless Records continued to support them.
The group's efforts were though dampened by the absence of Bizzy Bone from the album's videos and large portions of the ensuing tour and public appearances. This absence by that time fueled rumors of a break-up.
Their first group album to prominently feature Flesh-n-Bone, whose presence was limited on previous releases because he had never signed with the group's label Ruthless Records. Flesh-n-Bone 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 filed against Sony Music and Loud Records in exchange for a termination of his Sony contract.
Bizzy Bone was expelled from the group in January 2003 thus leaving only 3 active members Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone & Wish Bone.
In November 2007, Layzie Bone confirmed that he had completed the Bone Brothers III album with Bizzy Bone, spurring speculation of a full Bone reunion. In a video interview, Krayzie Bone stated that they all wanted to reunite but that record label issues may prevent an official reunion. Bizzy Bone had attended a Bone Thugs performance during the time and he and the three then-standing members had a "good conversation".
After nearly a decade of incarceration, Flesh-n-Bone was released from prison on July 13, 2008. In an interview, Bizzy confirmed his return to the group, after them all getting together by the time of Flesh's release.
Discography
1993: Faces of Death
1994: Creepin on ah Come Up (EP)
1995: E. 1999 Eternal
1997: The Art of War
2000: BTNHResurrection
2002: Thug World Order
2006: Thug Stories
2007: Strength & Loyalty
2010: Uni5: The World's Enemy
Members:
Layzie Bone
Flesh-n-Bone,
Bizzy Bone,
Wish Bone
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