Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Artist Image: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Attribution
Image Credit: Kmilo from NY/TX (Bone Thugs N Harmony), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American hip hop band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the 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". In 1995, the group released its second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "Tha Crossroads." A tribute to the recently deceased Eazy-E, "Tha Crossroads," won a Grammy award in 1997. The Art of War, the group's third album, was also released in 1997. Bone Thugs is also the only group that has worked with deceased artists 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E & Big Pun while they were still alive. The editors of About.com ranked them #12 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time", and MTV called them "the most melodic hip-hop group of all time". In 2000 BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month and Thug World Order (2002) received more moderate sales and promotion. After the album the group went on hiatus and released their sixth studio album Thug Stories independently before returning in 2007 with the major label release Strength & Loyalty, this time released by Swizz Beatz's label Full Surface Records. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony officially returned with their new album Uni-5: The World's Enemy, released in 2010 by their own record label, BTNH Worldwide, with distribution by Warner Bros.. Due to internal conflicts with the group, longtime members Krayzie Bone officially left the group in April 2011. Despite speculation that the group was splitting up, Krayzie and Wish are currently working with upcoming artists on their label The Life Ent. Bone's style and technique can be described as melodic, yet rapid-fire and aggressive. Their flow is often interwoven at a high-speed, 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.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1993
Number of Albums 53
Record Label
Website www.bonethugsnharmony.com
Wikipedia Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What genre is hardcore rap and rhythm combined with?

contemporary R&B

...ap and rhythmthe thug elementcombined with the smooth harmonies of contemporary R&B . With that sound the group has crossed genres, logging hit release...
How many young men make up Bone?

five

...nd Cuda of the Los Angeles Times, they put Cleveland on the rap map. The five young men who make up the band keep their birth names and dates secret, ...
What age do Journalists speculate the Bones are in?

midtwenties

...ss their fraternity. Journalists speculate that they are now in their midtwenties . The five grew up together in the St. ClairEast 99th Street block of...
How did Layzie and her friends make a living?

selling crack cocaine

...ing a living through the most lucrative route available to them: selling crack cocaine . In an interview with USA Today's Edna Gundersen, Layzie explai...
What did Layzie sell to get us through the young years?

dope

...a Gundersen, Layzie explained the necessity driving that choice: We sold dope to get us through the young years. We didn't have clothes to go to schoo...
What group is credited with popularizing the Hip Hop subgenre Chopper Rap during the 1990s?

Bone ThugsNHarmony

... Bone ThugsNHarmony is a hiphop group that includes members Bryon Anthony Bizzy Bone McCane II, Charles Wish Bone Scruggs, Steven Layzie Bone Howse, An...
Who are the members of Bone ThugsNHarmony?

Bryon Anthony Bizzy Bone McCane II, Charles Wish Bone Scruggs, Steven Layzie Bone Howse, Anthony Krayzie Bone Henderson, and Stanley FleshnBone Howse

... Bryon Anthony Bizzy Bone McCane II, Charles Wish Bone Scruggs, Steven Layzie Bone Howse, Anthony Krayzie Bone Henderson, and Stanley FleshnBone Howse ...
Where was Bone ThugsNHarmony established in 1991?

Cleveland, Ohio

...the Midwestern United States. Bone ThugsNHarmony was established in Cleveland, Ohio , in 1991. The group initially called themselves the BandAid Boys. ...
What was the initial name of the group that formed in Cleveland, Ohio?

the BandAid Boys

...in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1991. The group initially called themselves the BandAid Boys . In 1993, the group who then went under the name B.O.N.E. Enterpri...
What was B.O.N.E. Enterprie's debut album called?

Faces of Death

...under the name B.O.N.E. Enterprie, released their debut solo album, Faces of Death . The album failed to chart. Later that year, 1993, the group was in...
What was the name of the group that released their debut solo album?

B.O.N.E. Enterprie

...the BandAid Boys. In 1993, the group who then went under the name B.O.N.E. Enterprie , released their debut solo album, Faces of Death. The album faile...
Who was the producer of the album that introduced the group to Eric Lynn EazyE Wright?

Dodge Diego Black Hodge

...ar, 1993, the group was introduced to Eric Lynn EazyE Wright by Dodge Diego Black Hodge , who was one of the producers of their album. They auditioned ...
What was the name of EazyE's record label?

Ruthless Records

...eir album. They auditioned for EazyE were signed to his record label, Ruthless Records in Los Angeles, California. He renamed them Bone ThugsNHarmony....
Bone ThugsNHarmony's debut album is one of the milestones of what decade?

1990s

...e EP, and a blockbuster debut album that is one of the milestones of the 1990s . Following their impressive debut, however, they managed to do little m...
What year did Bone ThugsNHarmony release their fourth album?

2002

...up. Nonetheless, they remained together, releasing their fourth album in 2002 . Realizing the improbability of getting noticed from their hometown, in ...
What was the name of the gangsta rap group Eric EazyE founded?

N.W.A

...oned for Eric EazyE Wright, founder of the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A . Impressed, EazyE signed them to his label, Ruthless Records, which rel...
Who signed the group to Ruthless Records?

Eric EazyE Wright

...town, in 1993 the group traveled to Los Angeles and auditioned for Eric EazyE Wright , founder of the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A. Impressed, E...
What was the name of the band's debut EP?

Creepin' On Ah Come Up

...Ruthless Records, which released Bone ThugsNHarmony's debut EP, Creepin' On Ah Come Up , in the summer of 1994. The album's first single, Thuggish Rugg...
When was Creepin' On Ah Come Up released?

1994

... Bone ThugsNHarmony's debut EP, Creepin' On Ah Come Up, in the summer of 1994 . The album's first single, Thuggish Ruggish Bone, showcased the group's ...
What type of groove did Thuggish Ruggish Bone use?

Gfunk

...ng and sung vocal harmonies over a typically synthesizerheavy, funkbased Gfunk groove. Thuggish Ruggish Bone quickly became a huge rap hit, particular...
Where did the rap hit thuggish ruggish bone cross over to?

pop charts

... a huge rap hit, particularly in the Midwest, and crossed over to the pop charts . Bone ThugsNHarmony promptly returned to the studio with their execut...
Bone brought what style to the forefront?

fast rapping

...portant contribution to rap is their speedy, harmonizing flow. While fast rapping has always had a niche in the culture, Bone certainly brought the st...
What was the name of Bone's 1997 album?

the Art of War

...ly influenced by the GFunk gangsta rap era. The group's 1997 album, the Art of War , saw Bone further explore a wide variety of subjects and styles, wi...
Bone explored a wide variety of subjects and styles with a focus on what?

God and family

...lore a wide variety of subjects and styles, with even more focus on God and family and an overall more ambient, mellow sound. The group still found ti...
What did Bone find time for on their 1997 album, the Art of War?

violent lyrics

... overall more ambient, mellow sound. The group still found time for violent lyrics , though, with a large portion of the album dedicated to what they l...
What was the name of the EP that the group released in 1993?

Creepin on ah Come Up

...o Ruthless Records in late 1993, when they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up . The EP included their breakout hit single Thuggish Ruggish Bon...
When did the group release their second album, E. 1999 Eternal?

1995

... Up. The EP included their breakout hit single Thuggish Ruggish Bone. In 1995 , the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hit...
What was the name of the band's third album released in 1997?

The Art of War

...tribute to thenrecently deceased EazyE, won a Grammy Award in 1997. The Art of War , the group's third album, was released in 1997. In 2000, BTNHResurr...
How long did it take for the album to reach platinum?

one month

...m, was released in 1997. In 2000, BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month , while 2002's Thug World Order received more moderate sales and promo...
Whose song Tha Crossroads won a Grammy Award?

EazyE

... 1999. Their hit song Tha Crossroads, a tribute to thenrecently deceased EazyE , won a Grammy Award in 1997. The Art of War, the group's third album, w...
In what year did BTNHResurrection reach platinum?

2000

... 1997. The Art of War, the group's third album, was released in 1997. In 2000 , BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month, while 2002's Thug World...
What was the name of the album released in 2002?

Thug World Order

...2000, BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month, while 2002's Thug World Order received more moderate sales and promotion, going gold and peaking...
Who released their sixth studio album in 2006?

Thug Stories

...nt on hiatus from their label and released their sixth studio album, Thug Stories , independently in 2006. Bone ThugsNHarmony officially returned with ...
Who distributed the album Uni5: The World's Enemy?

Warner Bros

...eased by their own record label, BTNH Worldwide, with distribution by Warner Bros . The group is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop acts of all ti...
Who is the only group that has worked with 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G., EazyE, and Big Pun while they were still alive?

Bone ThugsnHarmony

...roup is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop acts of all time. Bone ThugsnHarmony is the only group that has worked with 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G....
Where did the single "Creepin" peak on the Billboard charts?

22

... The single crossed into the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 22 . Amid the fervor, the group immediately reentered the studio and emerged ...
What was the name of the song dedicated to the deceased EazyE?

Tha Crossroads

... charts and spawned a pair of popular singles, 1st of the Month and Tha Crossroads , the latter a dedication to the deceased EazyE and a Grammy Award r...
What award recipient was Tha Crossroads a dedication to?

Grammy

...and Tha Crossroads, the latter a dedication to the deceased EazyE and a Grammy Award recipient. As was in vogue at the time, the group members subsequ...
What was the name of the spinoff group that Bone had?

Mo Thugs Family

...oup members subsequently pursued respective solo careers and also a Mo Thugs Family spinoff group; none of these ventures rivaled the proper Bone proj...
What was the name of the lead single that went to Top Five on the Hot 100?

Look into My Eyes

...t top the same Billboard charts as E 1999 Eternal, but lead single Look into My Eyes went Top Five on the Hot 100. Within a year of release, it was ce...
When did Bone ThugsNHarmony release their latest album?

May 8, 2007

...ly in the 90s. With the latest album Strength & Loyalty coming out on May 8, 2007 , the rappers are back on top of the game, preceded by the success of...
What was the name of the first single released by the rappers?

I Tried

...rs are back on top of the game, preceded by the success of first single I Tried . The aptly titled song speaks of the fight to escape from the miseries...
When did Bone ThugsNHarmony join Ruthless Records?

1993

...ny is only the moniker formed after the group joined Ruthless Records in 1993 . Way before meeting EazyE, the man responsible for their initial success...
What album did Bone ThugsnHarmony release in 2010?

Uni5: The World's Enemy

...armony officially returned with the release of their 2010 album Uni5: The World's Enemy on their own record label, BTNH Worldwide. Due to conflicts wi...
Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone left the group in April 2011 to work with what label?

The Life Ent

...hin the group, longtime members Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone officially left the group in April 2011 to work with their independent label, The Life Ent ....
Stevie Wonders smooth R&B harmony style was mixed with what?

DJ UNeeks hardcore beats

...ie Wonders smooth R&B harmony style was brilliantly mixed with DJ UNeeks hardcore beats , and even if their gangsta rapping became tiresome, the streng...
What was Bone ThugsnHarmony's brand of rap called?

Cleveland Sound

...eir brand of flowing, rolling, rapidclip, harmonized rap dubbed the Cleveland Sound hit the top of the charts. But to get from the streets of Clevelan...