Bone Thugs n Harmony
While many groups are let down by downward sale of albums, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony refuse to give up and manage to strengthen their legacy in music industry that they used to have effortlessly 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 first single "I Tried". Featuring the hottest artist in town Akon, it received a warm welcome from fans that helped catapulting the single to #7 on Billboard Hot 100. It could be their signature speedy and harmonizing flow that helps securing the niche, but it was the 'change' that really counts. The aptly titled song speaks of the fight to escape from the miseries that life has put upon people. Simply telling personal experience, the group also talked about their relationship with God in "Order My Steps", a far comparison to their previous tunes that often touch cynical issues towards the authority. Employing deeper materials and slipping in more mature lyrics, the whole record shows one higher level where the lots see things that 'really matter'.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is only the moniker formed after the group joined Ruthless Records in 1993. Way before meeting Eazy-E, the man responsible for their initial success, the gangsta group was trapped between East and West Coast domination while trying to find their place as potential rappers in Cleveland, Ohio. Seeing that they won't move any step closer to stardom by staying in the post-industrial city, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, and Bizzy Bone tried their luck by spending their last bit of money for one-way bus tickets to Los Angeles in hope of meeting their favorite rapper Eric Lynn Wright aka Eazy-E. With all strength and every possible move, they tried to build a contact with Eazy-E while living on the streets. One day in late 1993, they got the call from Eazy-E whom they tried to impress by rapping through the phone. The 'instant' audition looked promising as the other end said that they would get in touch 'soon'. Eazy-E never called them back but the troupe kept their spirits high and bought another bus tickets to Eazy-E's show. They met him backstage whereby they were required to sing in front of him. This time a bright light coming out at the end of the tunnel, the group was signed under Ruthless Records.
Until that point they were B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and had one underground record "Faces of Death". It was not until 1994 that they were known as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony with the addition of Layzie Bone's brother Bone-N-Flesh. Under Ruthless wings, the five-piece shot to prominence through the release of first studio album "Creepin on ah Come Up [EP]" that boasted its single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". The single smoothly climbed the US Rap Charts to the 2nd position and became the most requested song in US radios at that time. The album gained triple platinum, thanks to the lyrics in "Foe tha Love of $" that awed people with its boldness. Such achievement by a new group made people wonder where do these rappers come from and most importantly who was the people behind their success. Not wanting to give the wrong impression, Bone Thugs came up with "E 1999 Eternal" a year later that stopped the questioning and invited a roar of praise. The album exploded in the US market mainly due to the striking melodic tune and the emphasizing of "Harmony" in their music which was rarely present in any hip-hop group at that time. The sophomore album marked a greater success for the group especially when the single "Tha Crossroads" circulated the radio. Through the song, the group received their first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.