Recently there’s been increased discussion about which hip-hop artists were groundbreaking, who pioneered, and who opened doors and eyes.
This conversation can’t be had without mentioning Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and their first full-length major label album, ‘E. 1999 Eternal’.
Before its release, audiences residing outside the northern United States knew Detroit, MI was the murder capital of our nation and south side Chicago, IL was an urban war zone. No one had any idea Cleveland, OH was so consumed by gang violence.
Bone brought these facts to light vividly and harmoniously.
Discovered by late hip-hop legend Easy-E of NWA, members Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone paid their respect with their #1 hit single “Tha Crossroads”. While they’d built a loyal following, success brought more widespread attention to the group.
The unfaithful, casual ears had no idea just how deeply pop-influenced and spiritual Bone could be, nor were they aware of the darkness they’d experienced in Cleveland. They quickly found out the second this album began to play.
With each member skillfully displaying their own variation of their swift, Uzi-spray rap style, paired with their signature, soul-stirring harmony, the DJ U-Neek-produced “Da Introduction” was impossible not to play over and over.
Once listeners managed to get past the first 4 ½ minutes of ‘E. 1999’, they discovered a whole lot of dope songs followed.
“No Shorts, No Losses” is in-you-face, “Land of Tha Heartless” gives violent insight to being territorial, and the chilling “East 1999” picks up where their debut, “Thugish Rugish Bone”, left off.
Twenty-five years later Bone Thugs still hit the right notes with ‘E. 1999 Eternal’. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
