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Sound Advice: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop with MegaCorp Pavilion Performance

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony play MegaCorp Pavilion on Dec. 15.

Dec 13, 2023 at 5:10 am

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Photo: Linda Flores, Flickr

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This story is featured in CityBeat's Dec. 13 print edition.

In 1991, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony formed in Cleveland as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e. At the time, the city’s music scene was more known for Nine Inch Nails than hip-hop. But rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone sang about growing up in the streets and even named their sophomore album, 1995’s platinum-selling E. 1999 Eternal, in homage to their east side neighborhood.

The album produced the Grammy-winning single “Tha Crossroads,” which is based on their mentorship with the deceased rapper Eazy-E; he produced their first two albums. The spiritual tune became the highest-charting rap single at the time, and the video has 154 million views.

In 1996, Wish Bone told the L.A. Times, “When we found Eazy-E, we found our way out. Then he died right before [the success] happened, and it seemed like we were gonna be left in the streets right back where we came from.” Well, that didn’t happen. They continued to release chart-topping records, including 1997’s The Art of War.

This summer, the group performed with Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and the Roots as part of “The F.O.R.C.E. Tour.” One reason they’ve lasted so long is because of their melodic and soulful rapping style, eschewing the straight-up gangsta rap of the ‘90s, though earlier songs like “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” have elements of it.

They’re touring as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and their contribution has been immense. Kid Cudi, who’s also from Cleveland, might not exist without the group as a torchbearer. The group hasn’t released a new record since 2017’s New Waves, but brothers Layzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone have new records out.

Not many hip-hop groups can say they’ve worked with Tupac and Phil Collins — the group sampled his song “Take Me Home” and Collins appears in the music video — but BTNH can. And not many hip-hop groups have lasted for 30 years, but they have.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony play MegaCorp Pavilion on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. Info: promowestlive.com.