Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
About this Artist
In 1991, a group of four young, street-hardened boys by the name of B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e used their musical talents to obtain one-way bus tickets to make their way out from the rough city of Cleveland, Ohio. They headed out to Los Angeles and were determined to perform for the top record labels at the time. They constantly called in to prove themselves. Their efforts paid off when they rapped over the phone to legendary N.W.A. member, Eazy-E, who owned Ruthless Records. They displayed their melodic, rapid-fire lyrics with group harmony. Eazy-E, who was having a show in their hometown, sent the group back on the bus to sign contracts under a new name—Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. While the group name changed, the boys kept their aliases: Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, and Wish Bone.
Eazy put them on a fast track to display their talents to the world. In 1994, the boys cranked out their debut EP Creepin on Ah Come Up with hit singles “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “Foe Tha Luv of $,” which featured their mentor, Eazy-E, and Layzie’s brother, Flesh-n-Bone. The group’s style brought a breath of fresh air to hip-hop at the time, and the album went double platinum in a few months. It didn’t take long for them to release their second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which told more stories of their lives in Cleveland. Shortly before the release of the album, Eazy-E passed away.
Without their mentor around to see their careers through to the highest points that he could have propelled them to, the boys took it upon themselves to put a new spin on their song “Crossroads” and add a tribute to Eazy-E. What came out was their greatest single, “Tha Crossroads,” which has sold millions around the globe and even won them a Grammy. Since then, the group released a few more albums under Ruthless Records: the double album The Art of War in 1997, BTNHResurrection in 2000, Thug World Order in 2002, and Thug Stories in 2006. In 2007, they signed with Interscope Records and worked with Swizz Beatz to create Strength & Loyalty. In 2010, with much fan input through “Think Tanks,” the group released Uni5: The World’s Enemy, which featured a recently released from prison Flesh-n-Bone.
Throughout the years and between albums, they have released multiple solo projects. They have also released albums under Mo Thugs, which featured artists from their city. These days, the Bone Boys can still be seen and heard on various social media platforms, engaging with fans by continuing to tell stories with their fast, melodic rap style and straight discussions. Eazy-E’s passing did not stop the group from still selling millions around the world, but little did they know that they would be fast-tracked to legendary status and influence the entire music industry into following their style.