Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Origins

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1991. The group is made up of Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Flesh-n-Bone. They were first known as the Band Aid Boys and then as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e, the name under which they released “Faces of Death” on the Stoney Burke label in May 1993. That record, made in the East 99th and St. Clair area of the city, introduced their approach of alternating singing and rapping over layered, harmonized vocals delivered at high speed.

Breakthrough

In late 1993 the group signed with Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, and Eazy-E suggested the change of name to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Their Ruthless debut, the EP “Creepin on ah Come Up”, was released on June 21, 1994. Its first single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone”, produced by DJ U-Neek and featuring singer Shatasha Williams, reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. The EP peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the R&B albums chart, and the RIAA later certified it four times platinum. It was the only Bone Thugs project released during Eazy-E’s lifetime.

Key records

“E. 1999 Eternal”, released on July 25, 1995, four months after Eazy-E’s death, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 307,000 copies sold in its first week. It became the group’s best-selling album and was certified four times platinum. The album track “Crossroad” was reworked as the single “Tha Crossroads”, a tribute to Eazy-E and others the members had lost. It debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in April 1996, reached No. 1 the following week and stayed there for eight weeks, and won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The double album “The Art of War” (1997) also debuted at No. 1, with 394,000 copies sold in its first week, and its single “Look into My Eyes” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Later career and legacy

In 1996 the group founded Mo Thugs Records, which released music by affiliated Cleveland artists. The members also built solo careers, and over three decades the group has recorded for labels including Ruthless, Interscope, Warner and Universal. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have remained active since 1991 with shifting lineups. Their harmonized, rapid-fire style was developed in Cleveland before they had any connection to the West Coast,, and “E. 1999 Eternal” and “Tha Crossroads” took it to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100.