BONE THUGS N HARMONY SWITCHES GEARS
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Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in the Kyles Files: Wish Speaks
Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone" is coming to Chicago. Flesh, Krayzie Layzie and Wish (sans Bizzy) will be performing at the Congress Theatre on Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. According to a rep, the group will be performing songs from their classic"E. 1999 Eternal," accompanied by a live band. Tickets are $25. More deets here.
To preview what I think will be a stand-out show, I interviewed Wish Bone on Monday.
It was a dial-in conference, featuring me and one other reporter lobbing questions at the man I believe is part of rap's best and most influential groups. I enjoyed hearing what Wish had to say, as he was refreshingly direct, much like C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock were when I chatted with them last week. I didn't pull any punches, asking him about the MIA Bizzy as well as for his thoughts about the current rap scene. And yeah, he did call out a name or two on the wackness front.
Warning: I did not censor his quotes, so do not show this post to babies (who can read, obviously), influential tweens who don't need to see such language, or my mother. 'Cuz yeah, I still live in fear that Toni Kyles will wash my mouth out with Dove moisturizing soap. (If you see this mom, it's not me...it's Wish talking.)
Pop the trunk!
My first question was about the Interwebs, thought by some to be a factor in artists going broke.
Q: How do you think the Web affects you as an artist? I know you've worked during times when it didn't have as much of an impact, in the 90s, and you've recently released an album.
Wish: It affects everybody as far as the way things work. Record sales are different. you can get everything on the Web. But we do music from the heart. It's not always about what you can gain from it. We do music because we love it. I love when people come up and say a song helped them through an ordeal. It does hurt the game though, in the sense of record sales.
The next question asked from my media colleague from Pittsburgh netted an interesting answer from Bone. It really reminds you how instrumental they were in rap history. Check out what Wish said when asked what his past favorite collaborations were...
Wish: Well, one that sticks out, definitely, is Mariah Carey. Also, Eazy-E, Big Pun, Tupac, Jam Master Jay. Those are guys no longer with us. Those things can never be done again. For them to have the impact they had in the music industry and for us to work with all those artists and bring out everlasting music was a blessing.
True to that sentiment, here's one video selection of a collabo he mentioned. Also, check out "Thug Love," which they performed with Tupac.
Jumping off the past question, I asked Wish to give me the names of some artists Bone would like to collaborate with now or the near future. Here's what he said:
Wish: We're looking forward to doing something with Jay-Z, or even a group like the Temptations. We don't stick to the script of what's going on right now. We do what we feel will work. Instead of just another [n-word] yelling about what they've got on a record.
I opted to turn the conversation to what seems to be constant acrimony between more established artists and their contemporaries. We're talking Lil Kim versus Nicki Minaj, Ice T versus Soulja...you know what I'm saying. His thoughts on that right 'chere:
Wish: Some egos are bigger than they should be, both old and new-school. The old has an excuse. They worked a lot harder...well, it's really no excuse, but when a new school person comes in the game and doesn't respect a person who came before them, that's totally wrong too. If the person from the past is still here and somewhat relevant, you need to show respect.
As a follow-up, I asked Wish to score the rap game on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being terrible and "10" being the best it can be.
Wish: I would have to give it a 6. It depends on what you like. Music is evolutionary, and it'll evolve again, but to me, there's not enough serious content in the music. No disrespect, but for me personally, no disrespect, but I'm not into stuff like that Waka Flocka, crazy talk. I want to hear someone give some meaning to music. It's cool to party and have a good time with music, but when you have that avenue to use your gift to help and better things, you should do it. Use it instead of bragging on what you got. Everybody done lost and gained in life.
At this point in the interview, I had to resist an urge to find a lighter and put it up in complete co-sign and I love him for calling out Waka Foolish Flame. But moving on....had to ask him about some issues Bone itself has had...seeming break-ups to make-ups, including drama earlier this month that the group was done right after the reunion. I asked him what was the greatest challenge and best part of working in a group.
Wish: The greatest challenge of working in a group is everybody coming to the same page. We're all grown with different opinions and aspects on certain things...that's the greatest hurdle. The best thing for us is we're all related and we will go through up's and down's, but we're family. Family comes first... The media has a lot to do with that. .Every time we get in an argument, it's blown up to where we want to kill each other or are breaking up. We've had solo careers...We're gonna fight all the time...the media blows it up because we're in the mainstream eye, and they blow it up worser than it actually is.
Fair enough, though he should tell Krayzie and Layzie to keep their disputes the hell off social media. Still, you know that question led me into asking about Bizzy. If the group is so solid, I asked how come young Bizzy can't be involved right now. His profanity-laden response was as follows:
Wish: Bizzy really came in our group later on, after we'd been getting things together. The majority of us are related. With Bizzy....we don't totally shut the door on Bizzy, but we don't want the door to be shut on us because he's not around. it's his decision to come and go as he please. We could have been said fuck him. Dude is dude. He do what he want to do. We don't want to be harsh and just say fuck him, but he does fuck up a lot of shit for us. People want to see thewhole package, but that's just up to him...and we can't let one monkey stop the show.
Well, damn. Tell us how you really feel Wish. Though I have to say that I can feel him....I do recall when Bizzy wasn't showing up for events and he has admitted struggling with substance abuse and homelessness. Heck, the Bizzyness was reportedly signed up for a season of "Celebrity Rehab." The Kyles Files will seek to get his side, as despite those foibles, he is a big part of Bone's success....But his absence won't stop me from seeing this show.
How' bout you? You going out to see Bone? What is your favorite song of theirs?
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/kyle...sh-speaks.html
Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone, Bone" is coming to Chicago. Flesh, Krayzie Layzie and Wish (sans Bizzy) will be performing at the Congress Theatre on Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. According to a rep, the group will be performing songs from their classic"E. 1999 Eternal," accompanied by a live band. Tickets are $25. More deets here.
To preview what I think will be a stand-out show, I interviewed Wish Bone on Monday.
It was a dial-in conference, featuring me and one other reporter lobbing questions at the man I believe is part of rap's best and most influential groups. I enjoyed hearing what Wish had to say, as he was refreshingly direct, much like C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock were when I chatted with them last week. I didn't pull any punches, asking him about the MIA Bizzy as well as for his thoughts about the current rap scene. And yeah, he did call out a name or two on the wackness front.
Warning: I did not censor his quotes, so do not show this post to babies (who can read, obviously), influential tweens who don't need to see such language, or my mother. 'Cuz yeah, I still live in fear that Toni Kyles will wash my mouth out with Dove moisturizing soap. (If you see this mom, it's not me...it's Wish talking.)
Pop the trunk!
My first question was about the Interwebs, thought by some to be a factor in artists going broke.
Q: How do you think the Web affects you as an artist? I know you've worked during times when it didn't have as much of an impact, in the 90s, and you've recently released an album.
Wish: It affects everybody as far as the way things work. Record sales are different. you can get everything on the Web. But we do music from the heart. It's not always about what you can gain from it. We do music because we love it. I love when people come up and say a song helped them through an ordeal. It does hurt the game though, in the sense of record sales.
The next question asked from my media colleague from Pittsburgh netted an interesting answer from Bone. It really reminds you how instrumental they were in rap history. Check out what Wish said when asked what his past favorite collaborations were...
Wish: Well, one that sticks out, definitely, is Mariah Carey. Also, Eazy-E, Big Pun, Tupac, Jam Master Jay. Those are guys no longer with us. Those things can never be done again. For them to have the impact they had in the music industry and for us to work with all those artists and bring out everlasting music was a blessing.
True to that sentiment, here's one video selection of a collabo he mentioned. Also, check out "Thug Love," which they performed with Tupac.
Jumping off the past question, I asked Wish to give me the names of some artists Bone would like to collaborate with now or the near future. Here's what he said:
Wish: We're looking forward to doing something with Jay-Z, or even a group like the Temptations. We don't stick to the script of what's going on right now. We do what we feel will work. Instead of just another [n-word] yelling about what they've got on a record.
I opted to turn the conversation to what seems to be constant acrimony between more established artists and their contemporaries. We're talking Lil Kim versus Nicki Minaj, Ice T versus Soulja...you know what I'm saying. His thoughts on that right 'chere:
Wish: Some egos are bigger than they should be, both old and new-school. The old has an excuse. They worked a lot harder...well, it's really no excuse, but when a new school person comes in the game and doesn't respect a person who came before them, that's totally wrong too. If the person from the past is still here and somewhat relevant, you need to show respect.
As a follow-up, I asked Wish to score the rap game on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being terrible and "10" being the best it can be.
Wish: I would have to give it a 6. It depends on what you like. Music is evolutionary, and it'll evolve again, but to me, there's not enough serious content in the music. No disrespect, but for me personally, no disrespect, but I'm not into stuff like that Waka Flocka, crazy talk. I want to hear someone give some meaning to music. It's cool to party and have a good time with music, but when you have that avenue to use your gift to help and better things, you should do it. Use it instead of bragging on what you got. Everybody done lost and gained in life.
At this point in the interview, I had to resist an urge to find a lighter and put it up in complete co-sign and I love him for calling out Waka Foolish Flame. But moving on....had to ask him about some issues Bone itself has had...seeming break-ups to make-ups, including drama earlier this month that the group was done right after the reunion. I asked him what was the greatest challenge and best part of working in a group.
Wish: The greatest challenge of working in a group is everybody coming to the same page. We're all grown with different opinions and aspects on certain things...that's the greatest hurdle. The best thing for us is we're all related and we will go through up's and down's, but we're family. Family comes first... The media has a lot to do with that. .Every time we get in an argument, it's blown up to where we want to kill each other or are breaking up. We've had solo careers...We're gonna fight all the time...the media blows it up because we're in the mainstream eye, and they blow it up worser than it actually is.
Fair enough, though he should tell Krayzie and Layzie to keep their disputes the hell off social media. Still, you know that question led me into asking about Bizzy. If the group is so solid, I asked how come young Bizzy can't be involved right now. His profanity-laden response was as follows:
Wish: Bizzy really came in our group later on, after we'd been getting things together. The majority of us are related. With Bizzy....we don't totally shut the door on Bizzy, but we don't want the door to be shut on us because he's not around. it's his decision to come and go as he please. We could have been said fuck him. Dude is dude. He do what he want to do. We don't want to be harsh and just say fuck him, but he does fuck up a lot of shit for us. People want to see thewhole package, but that's just up to him...and we can't let one monkey stop the show.
Well, damn. Tell us how you really feel Wish. Though I have to say that I can feel him....I do recall when Bizzy wasn't showing up for events and he has admitted struggling with substance abuse and homelessness. Heck, the Bizzyness was reportedly signed up for a season of "Celebrity Rehab." The Kyles Files will seek to get his side, as despite those foibles, he is a big part of Bone's success....But his absence won't stop me from seeing this show.
How' bout you? You going out to see Bone? What is your favorite song of theirs?
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/kyle...sh-speaks.html
“Krayzie Bone is Chasin’ The Devil”
Seventeen years after the start of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s career, they attempted to make the biggest comeback yet. Through group member fallouts, incarceration and discrepancies with labels, Bone Thugs have finally come back around. Commercially their 2010 spring release Uni5: The World’s Enemy didn’t create the hugest buzz, nonetheless HHR was reassured that the group is doing just fine. In this exclusive interview Krayzie Bone tells us why the radio isn’t worth listening to, breaks down the politics behind the music industry, and says why he feels Bone Thugs-N-Harmony don’t get their deserved respect.
“We’ve accomplished so much in the music business, but you never hear about those things. There’s never been another group to do it as long as we have and kept fans interested in the music we put out. It’s like we never even existed, but we had such an impact on the industry” – Krayzie Bone.
HHR: In about a week BTNH is about to start touring. How does it feel to get back out there?
Krayzie Bone: It’s pretty cool. We’re actually on the road a lot. We love to travel; one of the best things about being in the business is being able to perform. We’re real excited to get back out there.
HHR: What should long time fans or people who’ve never been to a BTNH show expect to see?
Krayzie Bone: They can expect a lot of energy, a lot of good music and they can expect to hear a lot of the classics. We’re going to be performing exclusively the E. 1999 Eternal album. If they’ve never been to a show before, they’re coming to the right show on this tour, because we’re going to be performing with a live band for the first time ever. It should be exciting.
HHR: Okay, so far do you guys feel like you’re having a successful comeback?
Krayzie Bone: Yeah, we’re doing really good. We’re gaining a lot of new fans and our core fan base has been very loyal. We’re picking up a lot of new younger fans and just getting out there reaching a lot of people.
HHR: Often times the media will measure a successful comeback by album sales or concert ticket sales. Considering what you all have been through, do you think it’s fair for a successful comeback to be determined by numbers?
Krayzie Bone: The media does, but because of the industry that we’re in now, we can’t really go by that. To me it’s all about the people that you sincerely reach and touch with your music. That’s what I measure it by and we’ve touched a lot of people worldwide.
HHR: Most definitely. Between the five of you guys, you’ve released several compilations and mixtapes. Do you ever feel like that gets in the way of BTNH business or the group’s creative process?
Krayzie Bone: Not at all. I’ve always been able to do other things. I used to do solo things before we even got discovered. Back in junior high school I was already rapping before I even met any of the Bone members.
HHR: The group’s latest album released in May was the first where you all were together in ten years. How was the chemistry with Flesh-n-Bone back this time around?
Krayzie Bone: It was cool, it took a while for us to get used to being back in the studio again. Flesh was incarcerated for ten years, Bizzy was away from the group for a while so it took a minute for us to get used to recording with five members again. There were a lot of ideas, but once we got into the rhythm of things, everything worked out and we completed the album.
HHR: I read that overtime you guys recorded like 200 songs for Uni5: The World’s Enemy. How did you guys go about selecting the songs for the album?
Krayzie Bone: We actually had a playlist, but you know the label likes to step in and try to take control putting what they feel should be on the album. We put some songs we wanted on the album, but when it comes to politics and the label coming in, it kind of makes it difficult for us to pick and choose what we actually want on there. But you know how that goes.
HHR: Right. You know how it goes when you’re in the studio and you all feel like a certain song should be on the album, but the label disagrees. Do you think that can hinder an artists’ success or make them lose fans? Not just in Bone’s case but with new artists as well?
Krayzie Bone: Man, yes! It definitely does because you have to remember the people who work at these labels are not artists. Nine times out of ten, they’ve never been in the music business besides working at a record company. They haven’t created any music or sang any music besides what they hear on the radio. When they try to step in or tell artists how they should make their music and don’t give them the opportunity to be creative and put what they want to put on the album, it totally messes up the relationship between the album and the artist. It messes up the vibe that the fans get from the artists. It really could be damaging to a person’s success.
HHR: I definitely feel that. The subtitle of Uni5 is The World’s Enemy. What were you guys trying to say with that?
Krayzie Bone: Basically we always feel like we’ve been outcasts in anything we do, even before we got into the business. We were just those five dudes who acted different than everybody and who stayed to ourselves. The music style [back then] was different than what anybody had heard. It was the same way once we got into the industry. We’ve accomplished so much in the music business, but you never hear about those things. You never hear about our era in music or other artists who got their writing style from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. As soon as one of us goes to jail or something negative happens, that’s all over the news. We’ve always felt like we never really get the respect that we deserve. There’s never been another group to do it as long as we have and kept fans interested in the music we put out.
HHR: You guys have been doing it differently from the beginning. Before rappers started singing on their own hooks and in verses, you guys were doing it for the longest.
Krayzie Bone: Yeah, some rappers are doing harmonies in their raps and even the way some singers sing. Some Usher, some Mariah Carey. A lot of singers out there didn’t used to sing like that. You can hear a lot of what we do in their music. We were responsible for changing the way music sounded when we came out. That’s why we call ourselves the world’s enemy because it seems like everybody’s against what we’re doing and refuse to acknowledge us as a major part of the game. When they do these R&B shows on VH1 like 100 greatest artists, [or write about influential artists] in magazines, The Source and VIBE never mention BTNH. It’s like we never even existed, but we had such an impact on the industry.
HHR: It’s hard to get around that. Why do you feel that vets in the game sometimes have a hard time reclaiming their spots or getting the recognition that they deserve?
Krayzie Bone: I think it’s just politics. It has a lot to do with the media and the radio. They basically program into people’s minds what they should be listening to, even if you don’t like it. They play it so much you begin to start singing it. It’s very commercial now, there’s a lot money involved and the big dogs stand to get paid from it and they pay to have it their way. That’s the bottom line.
HHR: It’s crazy because you guys are the ones sticking to your roots. Some rappers from back in the day are doing pop-like rap or crossover music and a lot of people frown upon that.
Krayzie Bone: It’s a lot of people. But there’s nothing wrong with branching out and incorporating different sounds in music. That’s cool. To me, there’s a lot of talent out here that will never get heard because of politics. Even if a person is not good, if the person behind them is paying money to make you think they’re good, you’re going to start believing they’re good.
HHR: Do you think the digital age has put a damper on some people’s careers?
Krayzie Bone: The digital game has helped and hurt people. It hurt by impacting album sales. It helped unsigned artists. When we were coming up we didn’t have YouTube, MySpace and Facebook or any outlets to showcase our music on. Artists back then had to get out, work and grind. I think that’s why there’s so many one-hit wonders and one album successes. [Artists now] struggle in life, but when it comes to struggling [to make it] in the music business, it’s not as hard as it used to be.
HHR: Okay and you guys started BTNH Worldwide in 2008, because of differences between your labels and politics like you said. Would you recommend always having that independent umbrella or side record label?
Krayzie Bone: When you get into the business you have to learn from every experience that you go through. You have to sit down and ask yourself why did this happen, search for the answers and look for the plan to never let it happen again. You have to eventually branch off and do your own thing. It’s very important to have something to fall back on.
HHR: If you could bring an element from back in the day to the present what would it be? Whether it is positive competitive spirits amongst artists or more focus from your label. What’s something that was going on in the 90s that you wish was still going on today in the industry?
Krayzie Bone: Everybody not sounding alike. Back in the day if you came out trying to look or sound like somebody you were called a biter. People weren’t having that; you would get DISSED. Now it seems like that’s the way the label goes. Labels actually look for people that sound like other people now. There’s only a handful of originators, the rest are imitators. There are a lot of imitators in this business now.
HHR: Do you follow any new artists in today’s game?
Krayzie Bone: I follow very few. I listen to everybody’s music, but not like I would when I was coming up listening to a Dre or Geto Boys album. I keep an ear to the streets and listen to what’s going on in the business, but I haven’t bought music in a very long time.
HHR: Why not?
Krayzie Bone: Because everybody’s talking about the same things. There are a few artists that talk about other things. To me, Eminem is like the realist MC on the radio. He’s not talking about his car, house or anything these other rappers are talking about. He talks about his life experiences. I can relate to that. All this other stuff is I guess what the young people like to hear. I’m not gonna knock it, but I can’t really get into it.
HHR: Sooner or later it will get old. With the “Hip-Hop is dead” era people realized that everything sounded the same and there was no substance. There’s still a bit of that going on, do you think the game is going to get over that hump again? Do you think we’re going to start getting real messages across in Hip-Hop music again?
Krayzie Bone: Oh yeah, I actually see it fading now. It’s only a matter of time before the industry is on to something else. We never know when, but we’re definitely going to get over that. People might go back to being conscious, you never know, but it’s something that makes sense.
HHR: Does BTNH have another album or other things in the works for when the tour is completed?
Krayzie Bone: We haven’t talked about going back in the studio to do another Bone album yet, but we’re doing other things. We have a book that’s being published; we’re doing a film about our lives and careers and what we did to get in the music business and make it; we’re also doing kind of a tutorial for aspiring artists looking to get into the business. I’m working on a solo album coming out soon called Chasing the Devil as well as working with other artists.
HHR: Okay cool. Those projects sound promising; we’ll be on the lookout. Thanks so much for your time, I appreciate it.
Krayzie Bone: No problem.
-Queen Princess
http://hiphopruckus.com/2010/09/kray...he-devil.html/
Seventeen years after the start of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s career, they attempted to make the biggest comeback yet. Through group member fallouts, incarceration and discrepancies with labels, Bone Thugs have finally come back around. Commercially their 2010 spring release Uni5: The World’s Enemy didn’t create the hugest buzz, nonetheless HHR was reassured that the group is doing just fine. In this exclusive interview Krayzie Bone tells us why the radio isn’t worth listening to, breaks down the politics behind the music industry, and says why he feels Bone Thugs-N-Harmony don’t get their deserved respect.
“We’ve accomplished so much in the music business, but you never hear about those things. There’s never been another group to do it as long as we have and kept fans interested in the music we put out. It’s like we never even existed, but we had such an impact on the industry” – Krayzie Bone.
HHR: In about a week BTNH is about to start touring. How does it feel to get back out there?
Krayzie Bone: It’s pretty cool. We’re actually on the road a lot. We love to travel; one of the best things about being in the business is being able to perform. We’re real excited to get back out there.
HHR: What should long time fans or people who’ve never been to a BTNH show expect to see?
Krayzie Bone: They can expect a lot of energy, a lot of good music and they can expect to hear a lot of the classics. We’re going to be performing exclusively the E. 1999 Eternal album. If they’ve never been to a show before, they’re coming to the right show on this tour, because we’re going to be performing with a live band for the first time ever. It should be exciting.
HHR: Okay, so far do you guys feel like you’re having a successful comeback?
Krayzie Bone: Yeah, we’re doing really good. We’re gaining a lot of new fans and our core fan base has been very loyal. We’re picking up a lot of new younger fans and just getting out there reaching a lot of people.
HHR: Often times the media will measure a successful comeback by album sales or concert ticket sales. Considering what you all have been through, do you think it’s fair for a successful comeback to be determined by numbers?
Krayzie Bone: The media does, but because of the industry that we’re in now, we can’t really go by that. To me it’s all about the people that you sincerely reach and touch with your music. That’s what I measure it by and we’ve touched a lot of people worldwide.
HHR: Most definitely. Between the five of you guys, you’ve released several compilations and mixtapes. Do you ever feel like that gets in the way of BTNH business or the group’s creative process?
Krayzie Bone: Not at all. I’ve always been able to do other things. I used to do solo things before we even got discovered. Back in junior high school I was already rapping before I even met any of the Bone members.
HHR: The group’s latest album released in May was the first where you all were together in ten years. How was the chemistry with Flesh-n-Bone back this time around?
Krayzie Bone: It was cool, it took a while for us to get used to being back in the studio again. Flesh was incarcerated for ten years, Bizzy was away from the group for a while so it took a minute for us to get used to recording with five members again. There were a lot of ideas, but once we got into the rhythm of things, everything worked out and we completed the album.
HHR: I read that overtime you guys recorded like 200 songs for Uni5: The World’s Enemy. How did you guys go about selecting the songs for the album?
Krayzie Bone: We actually had a playlist, but you know the label likes to step in and try to take control putting what they feel should be on the album. We put some songs we wanted on the album, but when it comes to politics and the label coming in, it kind of makes it difficult for us to pick and choose what we actually want on there. But you know how that goes.
HHR: Right. You know how it goes when you’re in the studio and you all feel like a certain song should be on the album, but the label disagrees. Do you think that can hinder an artists’ success or make them lose fans? Not just in Bone’s case but with new artists as well?
Krayzie Bone: Man, yes! It definitely does because you have to remember the people who work at these labels are not artists. Nine times out of ten, they’ve never been in the music business besides working at a record company. They haven’t created any music or sang any music besides what they hear on the radio. When they try to step in or tell artists how they should make their music and don’t give them the opportunity to be creative and put what they want to put on the album, it totally messes up the relationship between the album and the artist. It messes up the vibe that the fans get from the artists. It really could be damaging to a person’s success.
HHR: I definitely feel that. The subtitle of Uni5 is The World’s Enemy. What were you guys trying to say with that?
Krayzie Bone: Basically we always feel like we’ve been outcasts in anything we do, even before we got into the business. We were just those five dudes who acted different than everybody and who stayed to ourselves. The music style [back then] was different than what anybody had heard. It was the same way once we got into the industry. We’ve accomplished so much in the music business, but you never hear about those things. You never hear about our era in music or other artists who got their writing style from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. As soon as one of us goes to jail or something negative happens, that’s all over the news. We’ve always felt like we never really get the respect that we deserve. There’s never been another group to do it as long as we have and kept fans interested in the music we put out.
HHR: You guys have been doing it differently from the beginning. Before rappers started singing on their own hooks and in verses, you guys were doing it for the longest.
Krayzie Bone: Yeah, some rappers are doing harmonies in their raps and even the way some singers sing. Some Usher, some Mariah Carey. A lot of singers out there didn’t used to sing like that. You can hear a lot of what we do in their music. We were responsible for changing the way music sounded when we came out. That’s why we call ourselves the world’s enemy because it seems like everybody’s against what we’re doing and refuse to acknowledge us as a major part of the game. When they do these R&B shows on VH1 like 100 greatest artists, [or write about influential artists] in magazines, The Source and VIBE never mention BTNH. It’s like we never even existed, but we had such an impact on the industry.
HHR: It’s hard to get around that. Why do you feel that vets in the game sometimes have a hard time reclaiming their spots or getting the recognition that they deserve?
Krayzie Bone: I think it’s just politics. It has a lot to do with the media and the radio. They basically program into people’s minds what they should be listening to, even if you don’t like it. They play it so much you begin to start singing it. It’s very commercial now, there’s a lot money involved and the big dogs stand to get paid from it and they pay to have it their way. That’s the bottom line.
HHR: It’s crazy because you guys are the ones sticking to your roots. Some rappers from back in the day are doing pop-like rap or crossover music and a lot of people frown upon that.
Krayzie Bone: It’s a lot of people. But there’s nothing wrong with branching out and incorporating different sounds in music. That’s cool. To me, there’s a lot of talent out here that will never get heard because of politics. Even if a person is not good, if the person behind them is paying money to make you think they’re good, you’re going to start believing they’re good.
HHR: Do you think the digital age has put a damper on some people’s careers?
Krayzie Bone: The digital game has helped and hurt people. It hurt by impacting album sales. It helped unsigned artists. When we were coming up we didn’t have YouTube, MySpace and Facebook or any outlets to showcase our music on. Artists back then had to get out, work and grind. I think that’s why there’s so many one-hit wonders and one album successes. [Artists now] struggle in life, but when it comes to struggling [to make it] in the music business, it’s not as hard as it used to be.
HHR: Okay and you guys started BTNH Worldwide in 2008, because of differences between your labels and politics like you said. Would you recommend always having that independent umbrella or side record label?
Krayzie Bone: When you get into the business you have to learn from every experience that you go through. You have to sit down and ask yourself why did this happen, search for the answers and look for the plan to never let it happen again. You have to eventually branch off and do your own thing. It’s very important to have something to fall back on.
HHR: If you could bring an element from back in the day to the present what would it be? Whether it is positive competitive spirits amongst artists or more focus from your label. What’s something that was going on in the 90s that you wish was still going on today in the industry?
Krayzie Bone: Everybody not sounding alike. Back in the day if you came out trying to look or sound like somebody you were called a biter. People weren’t having that; you would get DISSED. Now it seems like that’s the way the label goes. Labels actually look for people that sound like other people now. There’s only a handful of originators, the rest are imitators. There are a lot of imitators in this business now.
HHR: Do you follow any new artists in today’s game?
Krayzie Bone: I follow very few. I listen to everybody’s music, but not like I would when I was coming up listening to a Dre or Geto Boys album. I keep an ear to the streets and listen to what’s going on in the business, but I haven’t bought music in a very long time.
HHR: Why not?
Krayzie Bone: Because everybody’s talking about the same things. There are a few artists that talk about other things. To me, Eminem is like the realist MC on the radio. He’s not talking about his car, house or anything these other rappers are talking about. He talks about his life experiences. I can relate to that. All this other stuff is I guess what the young people like to hear. I’m not gonna knock it, but I can’t really get into it.
HHR: Sooner or later it will get old. With the “Hip-Hop is dead” era people realized that everything sounded the same and there was no substance. There’s still a bit of that going on, do you think the game is going to get over that hump again? Do you think we’re going to start getting real messages across in Hip-Hop music again?
Krayzie Bone: Oh yeah, I actually see it fading now. It’s only a matter of time before the industry is on to something else. We never know when, but we’re definitely going to get over that. People might go back to being conscious, you never know, but it’s something that makes sense.
HHR: Does BTNH have another album or other things in the works for when the tour is completed?
Krayzie Bone: We haven’t talked about going back in the studio to do another Bone album yet, but we’re doing other things. We have a book that’s being published; we’re doing a film about our lives and careers and what we did to get in the music business and make it; we’re also doing kind of a tutorial for aspiring artists looking to get into the business. I’m working on a solo album coming out soon called Chasing the Devil as well as working with other artists.
HHR: Okay cool. Those projects sound promising; we’ll be on the lookout. Thanks so much for your time, I appreciate it.
Krayzie Bone: No problem.
-Queen Princess
http://hiphopruckus.com/2010/09/kray...he-devil.html/
Another Wish Bone Interview 09-29-2010
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Wish Bone talks about hitting the Mainroom tonight
Bone is returning, semi-triumphantly (they've had a tough decade, after all) to the Mainroom tonight with the "original lineup" in tow -- not including Bizzy, the high-pitched attack dog of the Lord, who has been a solo artist since 1998...sort of.
Gimme Noise and three other journalists from around the country spoke with Wish Bone in a round robin interview about the tour and um, some other details.
A note: Gimme Noise's questions are in italics.
Alright we didn't really figure this out who wants to go first?
[This guy goes first] Hey Wish Bone how are ya? I was wondering if you're excited to return to Charleston South Carolina!
Wish Bone: Yeah you know we The Rolling Stones of hip hop and we always on the road and if there's a demand for us we gonna come there whether it's every other weekend or once a year.
How would you say your Midwest upbringing affects your style?
I mean you know the struggle that makes it uh, give a lot of heart and soul to our music. Motown and all that kind of stuff. [Garbled] from the heart.
How can students at Indiana University relate to your music?
I mean you know if you got a heart and soul and you real about it you can relate that way, it's always a message towards some situation, so if you breathe deep and listen I'm sure you'll get something out of it.
I'm wondering, when you guys were readying for 2010 this guy who runs something called Brand Engine posted this long explanation on Facebook, about getting ready for you guys to come back and all that. I didn't quite understand where he was coming from -- he seemed a little defensive. Do you know what I'm talking about?
No not at all. I have not read that.
He was laying out how music business is going nowadays. I'm just trying to get your take on the business end of things, as they stand now.
I mean you know, the music business has changed dramatically. You got the internet and things like that that can be a curse and a blessing at the same time. Like everything else in life it evolves and you have to evolve to keep up with the times.
How do you think you guys have adapted to survive in the music industry as long as you have?
That's called longevity, once you're doing something right in the lord's eyes it ain't in our hands, because like I said our music comes from the heart. We aren't just rapping about bitches and cars and what house you live in. We put a message withour music too, and I think that has a lot to do with longevity.
I know on this tour you guys are focusing a lot on your E 1999 Eternal, I wanted to know how Eazy-E helped jumpstart your career.
I mean, he didn't help, he did jump start it first of all. But you know, one-way bus tickets, he saw our drive and determination and then we were different, there wasn't anyone like us with the harmony and the rapping at the same time it was still a message, thug mentality, Eazy-E was a visionary, he saw where the game was falling [garbled].
You mentioned you were involved in the harmonies and rapping so what do you think about the upcomers like Drake, BoB that are feeding off that style?
I mean you know in the beginning when we were a little younger it was little sensitive because everybody hated to be bited and all that kinda crap, but now we look at it as a blessing because through them we're still relevant. You can like anything but you have to go back to its original roots and respect that. It's a cool thing.
I saw Sloan Bone's Twitter, he's on tour too now, and he's on Twitter. It looks like he's getting ladies on tour...do you guys use Twitter to get girls? It never works for me.
[Laughs] No no I don't really endorse all that. I've got a wife and kids, I'm a family man. Besides we've been doing this for 16-17 years, so if we haven't done it by now, you know what I mean? Been there done that.
Is the full original lineup going to be on this tour?
Everybody's on the tour. Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy, and Wish - I mean Krayzie, Layzie, Flesh...and Wish. You know Bizzy does his own thing...I don't care to even comment on him.
You guys recently released a new album, what was the focus on that album?
The focus of that album was basically to do something -- when Flesh-N-Bone got home -- on a more mature, grown-up level. Something different than what you used to hear from Bone. Show versatility you know we're artists, we're not gonna be stuck in one genre.
How has the tour been going so far?
This is the beginning of the tour, but so far, great. We've got the live band out here - it's a whole other show. We got actual musicians adding to our harmonies on this tour.
I know you guys used DJ U-Neek to do a lot of production early on, I didn't hear a lot of that sound on the new record. How many producers did you use? Did you do it yourself?
Um you know what, we kept it pretty tight-knit. We didn't wanna complicate the project. Too much confusion you know what I mean? Especially with the state of music right now, it's like everybody's asking to do a little bit more than usual - it's crunch time for everyone. We pretty much kept it in-house.
Can you talk about your first single off the album?
I love "See Me Shine." It makes sense. Everybody has somebody who's looking down on them or thinking they're better than them or don't wanna see them grow. So "See Me Shine" sorta represents the person that's getting theirs and keeping happy with theirself, no matter what the next person got. They don't wanna see me shining, but...can't stop it. It's like the sun: I'm gonna come up.
And "Rebirth"?
What rebirth was was a song basically just [garbled] frustrations I would say. Basically putting a reminder out there of who the originators were. Every now and then you gotta hit 'em in the head and let 'em know what the real is.
What were you able to learn from recording with other huge legends of the game such as Eazy-E, Biggie, Tupac?
First of all that was a blessing. We got to record with Eazy-E, Biggie, Tupac...it was a blessing. That's why you gotta believe in the Lord, because how many artists in the world today can say they worked with all three of them and had a actual hit song to this day that's still relevant? So it's all in God's divine plan. Sorry they had to go so soon, but in words they live on.
How do you think the rap game has changed since the early nineties...do you think it's better or worse?
I mean to me it depends on how you look at it...the game's changed. Like I said earlier about the Internet and things like that. A record that could be a million copies sold is probably at three, four hundred thousand. But in a sense its to your advantage too. It's still a mass media and you can still do a lot of things with it. It depends on how you look at it.
You guys are playing your hometown a week from today, do you have anything special planned?
We've got the live band, just us being there healthy, live, being able to reach out to people with our hearts and souls is special enough for me.
What about the style change from the early nineties to today?
To me I think a lot of artists are a bit cartoonish. That's what's good, that's what they listen to. Me personally I like to listen to songs with substance, you go to clubs and bounce and stuff [garbled] learn about the artists.
Why do you think so often stuff like "Doin the Duggie" gets more play than songs with substance?
You know that's something that you have to ask the radio productions people that set up radio. There's some ins and outs of why it is going that way or whatever, but the world and the way the media thing is set up now is that short attention spans is what they reach out for. A sentence to a half a sentence is more relateable to the average listener. Everyone's attention spans are so short now all they wanna do is party.
Can you mention some of your influences?
Aw you know, Pattye LaBelle, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, LL Cool J, Eazy-E, Ghetto Boys, it goes on and on. Garth Brooks...I like a lot of stuff.
What do you see yourself and the band doing in the next year or two?
We're blessed with this longevity and our health. If you reach one person that's like a million. We definitely always wanna do music, but I'm gearing more towards getting my first solo record out there. I've been working a long time so I'm really looking to sit back and be a boss more than an actual worker. Spend time with my children.
I don't know if you're familiar with the website AllMusic.com - they called Bizzy the Flava Flav of this record. Do you think that's fair?
[Laughs] I mean it is what it is. We did what we did for the fan's sake. Period.
Can you tell me about BTNH Worldwide, the label?
That's just the foundation of our umbrella, keep more in control of our own stuff.
Thug World Order was still on Ruthless right? I was wondering about that record, that seemed like a perfect storm of problems for your band at the time. It just seemed like everything kinda went shitty around that release. Do you have any big regrets about that?
Not really I mean you know first and foremost we family and just like anyone else we're gonna grow and have differences, but we're family first so we're definitely going to be able to work those things out. But I think the media will make a cupcake into a cake. It is what it is.
If there is one overriding message to your music what would you say that is?
Strength. This was a cold game and to survive as long as we have takes a lot of heart and strength.
I thought you were saying stress which wouldn't be that far off either.
On your new album, who is the world enemy?
The world's enemy is anyone doing something that goes against what the grain of what people think it should go. That's just a way of speaking for a mass amount of people. We the world's enemy because with our large following can actually get people to like a song when you're talking about God, or when your loved one isn't with you anymore. We still can get down and talk about 9 millimeter eaters.
What kind of advice to have to offer young artists?
I'm gonna keep it all the way real. A lot of people need to really refocus and make rap and music their only goal because that's the state that the game is in now. And it's just not for everybody. Just because the ice cream looks good doesn't mean it'll taste good to you.
I have a question about a song too...you seem like you're pretty focused on this new record. One of that last bigger songs you had was "Ghetto Cowboy". I was wondering if you're gonna revisit that, like "Ghetto Spaceman" or "Ghetto Lumberjacker."
[Laughs]. I mean that might be something that works you never know. Like I said we mess with all genres of music. How we feel when we get in there...wherever the beat takes us.
Is this tour gonna be exclusively E. 1999 Eternal stuff?
The majority is E. 1999 stuff, but we have a few surprises in there. This is an awesome show, we've got the live band. We're doing a lot of songs that we've never performed live before.
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenois...rview_wi_2.php
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Wish Bone talks about hitting the Mainroom tonight
Bone is returning, semi-triumphantly (they've had a tough decade, after all) to the Mainroom tonight with the "original lineup" in tow -- not including Bizzy, the high-pitched attack dog of the Lord, who has been a solo artist since 1998...sort of.
Gimme Noise and three other journalists from around the country spoke with Wish Bone in a round robin interview about the tour and um, some other details.
A note: Gimme Noise's questions are in italics.
Alright we didn't really figure this out who wants to go first?
[This guy goes first] Hey Wish Bone how are ya? I was wondering if you're excited to return to Charleston South Carolina!
Wish Bone: Yeah you know we The Rolling Stones of hip hop and we always on the road and if there's a demand for us we gonna come there whether it's every other weekend or once a year.
How would you say your Midwest upbringing affects your style?
I mean you know the struggle that makes it uh, give a lot of heart and soul to our music. Motown and all that kind of stuff. [Garbled] from the heart.
How can students at Indiana University relate to your music?
I mean you know if you got a heart and soul and you real about it you can relate that way, it's always a message towards some situation, so if you breathe deep and listen I'm sure you'll get something out of it.
I'm wondering, when you guys were readying for 2010 this guy who runs something called Brand Engine posted this long explanation on Facebook, about getting ready for you guys to come back and all that. I didn't quite understand where he was coming from -- he seemed a little defensive. Do you know what I'm talking about?
No not at all. I have not read that.
He was laying out how music business is going nowadays. I'm just trying to get your take on the business end of things, as they stand now.
I mean you know, the music business has changed dramatically. You got the internet and things like that that can be a curse and a blessing at the same time. Like everything else in life it evolves and you have to evolve to keep up with the times.
How do you think you guys have adapted to survive in the music industry as long as you have?
That's called longevity, once you're doing something right in the lord's eyes it ain't in our hands, because like I said our music comes from the heart. We aren't just rapping about bitches and cars and what house you live in. We put a message withour music too, and I think that has a lot to do with longevity.
I know on this tour you guys are focusing a lot on your E 1999 Eternal, I wanted to know how Eazy-E helped jumpstart your career.
I mean, he didn't help, he did jump start it first of all. But you know, one-way bus tickets, he saw our drive and determination and then we were different, there wasn't anyone like us with the harmony and the rapping at the same time it was still a message, thug mentality, Eazy-E was a visionary, he saw where the game was falling [garbled].
You mentioned you were involved in the harmonies and rapping so what do you think about the upcomers like Drake, BoB that are feeding off that style?
I mean you know in the beginning when we were a little younger it was little sensitive because everybody hated to be bited and all that kinda crap, but now we look at it as a blessing because through them we're still relevant. You can like anything but you have to go back to its original roots and respect that. It's a cool thing.
I saw Sloan Bone's Twitter, he's on tour too now, and he's on Twitter. It looks like he's getting ladies on tour...do you guys use Twitter to get girls? It never works for me.
[Laughs] No no I don't really endorse all that. I've got a wife and kids, I'm a family man. Besides we've been doing this for 16-17 years, so if we haven't done it by now, you know what I mean? Been there done that.
Is the full original lineup going to be on this tour?
Everybody's on the tour. Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy, and Wish - I mean Krayzie, Layzie, Flesh...and Wish. You know Bizzy does his own thing...I don't care to even comment on him.
You guys recently released a new album, what was the focus on that album?
The focus of that album was basically to do something -- when Flesh-N-Bone got home -- on a more mature, grown-up level. Something different than what you used to hear from Bone. Show versatility you know we're artists, we're not gonna be stuck in one genre.
How has the tour been going so far?
This is the beginning of the tour, but so far, great. We've got the live band out here - it's a whole other show. We got actual musicians adding to our harmonies on this tour.
I know you guys used DJ U-Neek to do a lot of production early on, I didn't hear a lot of that sound on the new record. How many producers did you use? Did you do it yourself?
Um you know what, we kept it pretty tight-knit. We didn't wanna complicate the project. Too much confusion you know what I mean? Especially with the state of music right now, it's like everybody's asking to do a little bit more than usual - it's crunch time for everyone. We pretty much kept it in-house.
Can you talk about your first single off the album?
I love "See Me Shine." It makes sense. Everybody has somebody who's looking down on them or thinking they're better than them or don't wanna see them grow. So "See Me Shine" sorta represents the person that's getting theirs and keeping happy with theirself, no matter what the next person got. They don't wanna see me shining, but...can't stop it. It's like the sun: I'm gonna come up.
And "Rebirth"?
What rebirth was was a song basically just [garbled] frustrations I would say. Basically putting a reminder out there of who the originators were. Every now and then you gotta hit 'em in the head and let 'em know what the real is.
What were you able to learn from recording with other huge legends of the game such as Eazy-E, Biggie, Tupac?
First of all that was a blessing. We got to record with Eazy-E, Biggie, Tupac...it was a blessing. That's why you gotta believe in the Lord, because how many artists in the world today can say they worked with all three of them and had a actual hit song to this day that's still relevant? So it's all in God's divine plan. Sorry they had to go so soon, but in words they live on.
How do you think the rap game has changed since the early nineties...do you think it's better or worse?
I mean to me it depends on how you look at it...the game's changed. Like I said earlier about the Internet and things like that. A record that could be a million copies sold is probably at three, four hundred thousand. But in a sense its to your advantage too. It's still a mass media and you can still do a lot of things with it. It depends on how you look at it.
You guys are playing your hometown a week from today, do you have anything special planned?
We've got the live band, just us being there healthy, live, being able to reach out to people with our hearts and souls is special enough for me.
What about the style change from the early nineties to today?
To me I think a lot of artists are a bit cartoonish. That's what's good, that's what they listen to. Me personally I like to listen to songs with substance, you go to clubs and bounce and stuff [garbled] learn about the artists.
Why do you think so often stuff like "Doin the Duggie" gets more play than songs with substance?
You know that's something that you have to ask the radio productions people that set up radio. There's some ins and outs of why it is going that way or whatever, but the world and the way the media thing is set up now is that short attention spans is what they reach out for. A sentence to a half a sentence is more relateable to the average listener. Everyone's attention spans are so short now all they wanna do is party.
Can you mention some of your influences?
Aw you know, Pattye LaBelle, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, LL Cool J, Eazy-E, Ghetto Boys, it goes on and on. Garth Brooks...I like a lot of stuff.
What do you see yourself and the band doing in the next year or two?
We're blessed with this longevity and our health. If you reach one person that's like a million. We definitely always wanna do music, but I'm gearing more towards getting my first solo record out there. I've been working a long time so I'm really looking to sit back and be a boss more than an actual worker. Spend time with my children.
I don't know if you're familiar with the website AllMusic.com - they called Bizzy the Flava Flav of this record. Do you think that's fair?
[Laughs] I mean it is what it is. We did what we did for the fan's sake. Period.
Can you tell me about BTNH Worldwide, the label?
That's just the foundation of our umbrella, keep more in control of our own stuff.
Thug World Order was still on Ruthless right? I was wondering about that record, that seemed like a perfect storm of problems for your band at the time. It just seemed like everything kinda went shitty around that release. Do you have any big regrets about that?
Not really I mean you know first and foremost we family and just like anyone else we're gonna grow and have differences, but we're family first so we're definitely going to be able to work those things out. But I think the media will make a cupcake into a cake. It is what it is.
If there is one overriding message to your music what would you say that is?
Strength. This was a cold game and to survive as long as we have takes a lot of heart and strength.
I thought you were saying stress which wouldn't be that far off either.
On your new album, who is the world enemy?
The world's enemy is anyone doing something that goes against what the grain of what people think it should go. That's just a way of speaking for a mass amount of people. We the world's enemy because with our large following can actually get people to like a song when you're talking about God, or when your loved one isn't with you anymore. We still can get down and talk about 9 millimeter eaters.
What kind of advice to have to offer young artists?
I'm gonna keep it all the way real. A lot of people need to really refocus and make rap and music their only goal because that's the state that the game is in now. And it's just not for everybody. Just because the ice cream looks good doesn't mean it'll taste good to you.
I have a question about a song too...you seem like you're pretty focused on this new record. One of that last bigger songs you had was "Ghetto Cowboy". I was wondering if you're gonna revisit that, like "Ghetto Spaceman" or "Ghetto Lumberjacker."
[Laughs]. I mean that might be something that works you never know. Like I said we mess with all genres of music. How we feel when we get in there...wherever the beat takes us.
Is this tour gonna be exclusively E. 1999 Eternal stuff?
The majority is E. 1999 stuff, but we have a few surprises in there. This is an awesome show, we've got the live band. We're doing a lot of songs that we've never performed live before.
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenois...rview_wi_2.php
Hip-Hop Wired: How do you feel about the album now that it has been out for a while and your fans have gotten a chance to digest it?
Bizzy Bone: We have been on iTunes top 10 for like five weeks now, so it speaks for itself. They aren't promoting it to the hip-hop crowd or nothing like that, we are going for the long haul on this one. We aren't going to just throw it in the stores and do 100,000 and be happy with it, we are gonna go all around. We are going for a couple of platinum plaques. We are gonna go Rage Against The Machine on them, tour overseas with it for a couple of years. Its one of those records that's gonna be here until the end world, man. I'm very ecstatic about what is going on with it. It's just a beautiful thing.
Hip Hop Wired: The name of the album is Crossroads 2010, along with being the name of an old Bone song; did this album mark a crossroads in your life?
Bizzy Bone: I knew I had to come up with something new. I wanted to come up with something new with my partners, but my partners and I didn't really click on my new vision. They wanted to stick to the script. That's cool, that's always an avenue. “Crossroads” is really what brought the style and really brought Bone into the world. I said I have to do something that takes it and uplifts it. And that's what I'm doing with Crossroads 2010.
Hip-Hop Wired: The album definitely has a lot of rock influence. Have you always been into alternative music?
Bizzy Bone: Definitely, but I needed to take it to another level. It's more like R&B singing, with a little more choppy words. We have 10-string guitars; rock n roll artists don't even use that. We tried to go to another level because you have rappers that are doing that as well. So [the producer] brought out xylophones and 10 string guitars all kinds of different sh*% and took it to a whole different plateau.
Hip-Hop Wired: You seem comfortable in that setting. Is that something you are transitioning into?
Bizzy Bone: Ima tell you, man. Everybody always said, use your voice. Sometimes you take great opinions of the past, leave the bad stuff away and make something bigger than your name. Make something to where they can't say, this is a Bizzy Bone record. So I had to take all of that advice from the past and just use my voice. Because I still have the second tenor going. So yeah, I'm very comfortable in that.
Hip-Hop Wired: Do you play any instruments?
Bizzy Bone: I fiddle faddle with the piano. I get me the presidential suit and play the piano all night long until the next-door neighbors get tired. Serenading my broad or whatever but nothing spectacular.
Hip-Hop Wired: The album art is very interesting. Can you explain that a little bit more?
Bizzy Bone: It encompasses everything in the record. From the man with the eye in the middle of his forehead, to the Stonehenge, to the black crows, to the pitchforks. The record was made through the tribulation of 2012 coming.
Hip-Hop Wired: You are showing a lot of growth as an artist by trying different things. How much do you think you have changed or matured since your first solo LP.
Bizzy Bone: The first solo LP was a lot about learning the business, in the same context of making the music. The first solo LP was supposed to be completely produced by the late Johnny J, but the money started getting funny. I ended up having to do records with other people. It was a great experience because it was successful. Regardless of whatever went down that is still the biggest selling album that I have come out with.
Hip-Hop Wired: After 17 years in the game, what is the key to staying relevant?
Bizzy Bone: A lot of people are just gimmicks. I don't consider myself old school, I consider myself being reborn everyday. That's one of the problems with Hip-Hop, they'll stab you in the back quick. Motley Crew is 90 years old, legs bout to break on stage, 70, 80,000 m#therf*ckers [at their concerts]. N%gg#s, no matter if slavery is over, are still gonna get stabbed in the back. Unless you go that extra mile. Yeah they aint beating us with whips anymore, but they are damn sure making sure people who sold millions of records are bankrupt.
Hip-Hop Wired: What keeps you motivated in this cutthroat game?
Bizzy Bone: To not have been taken care of, you gotta keep working. Plus you love the music anyway, Hell, I would do shows for free if we didn't have to make sure things are being taken care of step by step. Its been like 17 years but a lot of people work for like 30, 40 years to get their pension. So its not that amazing. It only becomes amazing when you know the oppression that comes behind it. That's just the criteria of a man. If you can stand the rain. You stay healthy, you stay hungry and you love music.
Hip-Hop Wired: What was it like linking back up with the crew for the Uni-5 album before the most recent fallout?
Bizzy Bone: You know what, we never left. I think that the hip-hop community was mad because I wasn't a dummy, because I wasn't willing to take just anything. So the energy of the hip-hop community was like, oh he's a rebel. No, I'm not a rebel. We sold 50 million records and I want what's rightfully mine. And if I cant get it with you, I'm gonna try and get it on my own. I can do bad all by myself. I love my dudes. Them my dudes, we cool. I live 10 minutes away from Lazy. I go to his house and see his kids, ‘Hey man, I think its best if we just be buddies.' He like, ‘hell yeah I agree, man.' Sometimes we wanna get back and do some stuff but we are better off friends. This industry will turn you against the people that you love.
Hip-Hop Wired: What was the cause for the most recent breakup?
Bizzy Bone: Bone asked me to not be a part of doing shows anymore. I did my arrangement with Warner [Bros records] by myself. So I emailed Warner and I told them what was going on. One of the execs hit me back and he was like, ‘Why did [they] say that?' I said, ‘Man, they didn't want me to negotiate my own prices.' The exec was like, ‘Well you negotiated your own price with us, what's the difference.' I'm like, ‘I really don't know.' I walked away [from Bone]. The next thing I know they are like, ‘Hey, are you on the Uni-5 Tour?' I said, naw they are the Uni-4. That's basically what happened with that.
Hip-Hop Wired: With you defecting and Krazy and Lazy Bone recently speaking out about their displeasure with the group – but later recanting their statements – what is the status of Bone?
Bizzy Bone: I've been gone from Bone since 1998, legally. I was always there to do a record but I just negotiated my stuff on my own. Like I said, people got upset with that. Because they wanted to have me in that same ‘f*ck you' game. Eazy E is dead. We have no loyalty to nobody but ourselves and that's how I thought. But everybody wasn't on that level. But that's their mind, that's their heart, that's their soul, that's their spirit. If you not rolling with me its all good. You still my partner.
Hip-Hop Wired: So your stint with Bone is officially over?
Bizzy Bone: Bone isn't [the original five-man] group anymore because we are better off friends because it's a lot of backstabbers, man, a lot of downloading, a lot of money gone. We'd rather be friends if we don't have any money in our pocket. That's how we started out. If that is how it finishes out then that's just the way it is. We gonna grind and take care of the kids up until then.
Hip-Hop Wired: You have always repped for Cleveland hard, what do you think about Lebron's off-season move?
Bizzy Bone: They said in this magazine, ‘5 Things Lebron Said To Cleveland Before He Left.' The fifth thing he was like, ‘I'm going to Miami but I'm taking Bone Thugs N Harmony with me.' I chuckled, that was funny. Get your money, whatever you do. [Lebron] brought a billion dollars plus to this city. You cant ask him for much more. The man wants a ring. But you can tell the energy around Cleveland. I saw a n*gg# walking around with [Lebron's] USA jersey, and a n#gg@ almost tried to shoot that n#gg*. I'm like, ‘Run, you fitting to get lynched out here by these beer chugging motherf@#$ers!' People in the hood aint really tripping. Go get your money Lebron. This is your life. The world is going to end in 2012 anyway so…
Hip-Hop Wired: You went through a lot in your childhood and was even kidnapped as a child. You have been very outspoken against child abuse. What are your thoughts on the Bishop Eddie Long situation?
Bizzy Bone: Hilarious. That's between that man, the court system and them young men who are suing him for punitive. [The media] are purposely trying to make him look like a piece of sh*t. Let that man have his day in court. Aint none of this sh*t our business. Life is too short.
Hip-Hop Wired: What are some of the things you plan on accomplishing between now and doomsday?
Bizzy Bone: We are doing Bizzy Bone's Kidnapped Children, a nice reality show kinda [bringing to light] how children are kidnapped and different things of that nature. We are in talks NBC and BET. I'm doing a USO show for the Navy. I'm getting that cleared outside of Las Vegas and that's airing in December. I just wrote this movie with Kat Williams. Its gonna be a nice hip-hop western that we are talking to Cube Vision about. I'm definitely touring with the record and just working. Staying clear and free without too much frustration.
Bizzy Bone: We have been on iTunes top 10 for like five weeks now, so it speaks for itself. They aren't promoting it to the hip-hop crowd or nothing like that, we are going for the long haul on this one. We aren't going to just throw it in the stores and do 100,000 and be happy with it, we are gonna go all around. We are going for a couple of platinum plaques. We are gonna go Rage Against The Machine on them, tour overseas with it for a couple of years. Its one of those records that's gonna be here until the end world, man. I'm very ecstatic about what is going on with it. It's just a beautiful thing.
Hip Hop Wired: The name of the album is Crossroads 2010, along with being the name of an old Bone song; did this album mark a crossroads in your life?
Bizzy Bone: I knew I had to come up with something new. I wanted to come up with something new with my partners, but my partners and I didn't really click on my new vision. They wanted to stick to the script. That's cool, that's always an avenue. “Crossroads” is really what brought the style and really brought Bone into the world. I said I have to do something that takes it and uplifts it. And that's what I'm doing with Crossroads 2010.
Hip-Hop Wired: The album definitely has a lot of rock influence. Have you always been into alternative music?
Bizzy Bone: Definitely, but I needed to take it to another level. It's more like R&B singing, with a little more choppy words. We have 10-string guitars; rock n roll artists don't even use that. We tried to go to another level because you have rappers that are doing that as well. So [the producer] brought out xylophones and 10 string guitars all kinds of different sh*% and took it to a whole different plateau.
Hip-Hop Wired: You seem comfortable in that setting. Is that something you are transitioning into?
Bizzy Bone: Ima tell you, man. Everybody always said, use your voice. Sometimes you take great opinions of the past, leave the bad stuff away and make something bigger than your name. Make something to where they can't say, this is a Bizzy Bone record. So I had to take all of that advice from the past and just use my voice. Because I still have the second tenor going. So yeah, I'm very comfortable in that.
Hip-Hop Wired: Do you play any instruments?
Bizzy Bone: I fiddle faddle with the piano. I get me the presidential suit and play the piano all night long until the next-door neighbors get tired. Serenading my broad or whatever but nothing spectacular.
Hip-Hop Wired: The album art is very interesting. Can you explain that a little bit more?
Bizzy Bone: It encompasses everything in the record. From the man with the eye in the middle of his forehead, to the Stonehenge, to the black crows, to the pitchforks. The record was made through the tribulation of 2012 coming.
Hip-Hop Wired: You are showing a lot of growth as an artist by trying different things. How much do you think you have changed or matured since your first solo LP.
Bizzy Bone: The first solo LP was a lot about learning the business, in the same context of making the music. The first solo LP was supposed to be completely produced by the late Johnny J, but the money started getting funny. I ended up having to do records with other people. It was a great experience because it was successful. Regardless of whatever went down that is still the biggest selling album that I have come out with.
Hip-Hop Wired: After 17 years in the game, what is the key to staying relevant?
Bizzy Bone: A lot of people are just gimmicks. I don't consider myself old school, I consider myself being reborn everyday. That's one of the problems with Hip-Hop, they'll stab you in the back quick. Motley Crew is 90 years old, legs bout to break on stage, 70, 80,000 m#therf*ckers [at their concerts]. N%gg#s, no matter if slavery is over, are still gonna get stabbed in the back. Unless you go that extra mile. Yeah they aint beating us with whips anymore, but they are damn sure making sure people who sold millions of records are bankrupt.
Hip-Hop Wired: What keeps you motivated in this cutthroat game?
Bizzy Bone: To not have been taken care of, you gotta keep working. Plus you love the music anyway, Hell, I would do shows for free if we didn't have to make sure things are being taken care of step by step. Its been like 17 years but a lot of people work for like 30, 40 years to get their pension. So its not that amazing. It only becomes amazing when you know the oppression that comes behind it. That's just the criteria of a man. If you can stand the rain. You stay healthy, you stay hungry and you love music.
Hip-Hop Wired: What was it like linking back up with the crew for the Uni-5 album before the most recent fallout?
Bizzy Bone: You know what, we never left. I think that the hip-hop community was mad because I wasn't a dummy, because I wasn't willing to take just anything. So the energy of the hip-hop community was like, oh he's a rebel. No, I'm not a rebel. We sold 50 million records and I want what's rightfully mine. And if I cant get it with you, I'm gonna try and get it on my own. I can do bad all by myself. I love my dudes. Them my dudes, we cool. I live 10 minutes away from Lazy. I go to his house and see his kids, ‘Hey man, I think its best if we just be buddies.' He like, ‘hell yeah I agree, man.' Sometimes we wanna get back and do some stuff but we are better off friends. This industry will turn you against the people that you love.
Hip-Hop Wired: What was the cause for the most recent breakup?
Bizzy Bone: Bone asked me to not be a part of doing shows anymore. I did my arrangement with Warner [Bros records] by myself. So I emailed Warner and I told them what was going on. One of the execs hit me back and he was like, ‘Why did [they] say that?' I said, ‘Man, they didn't want me to negotiate my own prices.' The exec was like, ‘Well you negotiated your own price with us, what's the difference.' I'm like, ‘I really don't know.' I walked away [from Bone]. The next thing I know they are like, ‘Hey, are you on the Uni-5 Tour?' I said, naw they are the Uni-4. That's basically what happened with that.
Hip-Hop Wired: With you defecting and Krazy and Lazy Bone recently speaking out about their displeasure with the group – but later recanting their statements – what is the status of Bone?
Bizzy Bone: I've been gone from Bone since 1998, legally. I was always there to do a record but I just negotiated my stuff on my own. Like I said, people got upset with that. Because they wanted to have me in that same ‘f*ck you' game. Eazy E is dead. We have no loyalty to nobody but ourselves and that's how I thought. But everybody wasn't on that level. But that's their mind, that's their heart, that's their soul, that's their spirit. If you not rolling with me its all good. You still my partner.
Hip-Hop Wired: So your stint with Bone is officially over?
Bizzy Bone: Bone isn't [the original five-man] group anymore because we are better off friends because it's a lot of backstabbers, man, a lot of downloading, a lot of money gone. We'd rather be friends if we don't have any money in our pocket. That's how we started out. If that is how it finishes out then that's just the way it is. We gonna grind and take care of the kids up until then.
Hip-Hop Wired: You have always repped for Cleveland hard, what do you think about Lebron's off-season move?
Bizzy Bone: They said in this magazine, ‘5 Things Lebron Said To Cleveland Before He Left.' The fifth thing he was like, ‘I'm going to Miami but I'm taking Bone Thugs N Harmony with me.' I chuckled, that was funny. Get your money, whatever you do. [Lebron] brought a billion dollars plus to this city. You cant ask him for much more. The man wants a ring. But you can tell the energy around Cleveland. I saw a n*gg# walking around with [Lebron's] USA jersey, and a n#gg@ almost tried to shoot that n#gg*. I'm like, ‘Run, you fitting to get lynched out here by these beer chugging motherf@#$ers!' People in the hood aint really tripping. Go get your money Lebron. This is your life. The world is going to end in 2012 anyway so…
Hip-Hop Wired: You went through a lot in your childhood and was even kidnapped as a child. You have been very outspoken against child abuse. What are your thoughts on the Bishop Eddie Long situation?
Bizzy Bone: Hilarious. That's between that man, the court system and them young men who are suing him for punitive. [The media] are purposely trying to make him look like a piece of sh*t. Let that man have his day in court. Aint none of this sh*t our business. Life is too short.
Hip-Hop Wired: What are some of the things you plan on accomplishing between now and doomsday?
Bizzy Bone: We are doing Bizzy Bone's Kidnapped Children, a nice reality show kinda [bringing to light] how children are kidnapped and different things of that nature. We are in talks NBC and BET. I'm doing a USO show for the Navy. I'm getting that cleared outside of Las Vegas and that's airing in December. I just wrote this movie with Kat Williams. Its gonna be a nice hip-hop western that we are talking to Cube Vision about. I'm definitely touring with the record and just working. Staying clear and free without too much frustration.
Q. For people who don’t really understand the hardships of what you went through to get to this point, explain the ten year period where you were locked up and the absolute hell that you overcame.
Flesh: See it was definitely a situation you know, it was exactly what it was, a downfall. When I wentand did all that shit, got arrested, that was like the start of a plethora of hardships for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony within itself. We was at the height of our career and everything, and I was going through that. I was facing 13 years, did like close to 9 of it, but it was like throughout that time it was hell. Of course it was.
That was that was the closest definition of hell you’re going to get. But you know, it didn’t detract me from being able to stay focused on what I needed to do as far as blowing myself up in there man, and as far as having an opportunity to be here right now. It’s like no words can describe it because I’ve been home for two years now. A lot of things have been developing as far as what’s been going on in the media and everything, about what’s this and that. A lot people gotta understand that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony consist of a 5 men entity. Just because we don’t see Bizzy doesn’t mean that we’re not checking on him and concerned about him and always in a need to know what’s going on with him and working with him constantly.
It doesn’t matter what’s being reported or said, as long as we’re doing what we’re doing to keep the brand moving forward and growing, like how we’re out here on the road right now. When we speak of hardships of what we been going through, that was heavy man! Away from family and friends like that for so long, it’s real serious. But I knew I had to stay sharp! I knew I had to get well and get better and do what I had to do in order to get out of there and continue to have an impact, because being in there, yeah you missing out on a certain aspect of life and everything, but you still studying everything and really, really researching like a fucking microscope, you penning everything. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand, there is something I missed out on or I may have been lacking, but I‘m a little bit more advanced when it comes to a certain level. Whatever hardship I’ve been going through, now I’m expressing and doing what I need to do, being blessed, because with every difficulty, every hardship, there’s comfort there’s ease, we gotta remember that. That’s what we at right now staying focused on business, doing what we need to do to set up the longevity we already got. We‘re trying to be here another 15-16-17 years.
Q. Now when you got out, it didn’t stop. It almost seemed like you know you couldn’t catch a break. There were a couple of other incidents and arrests. How hard was it to keep your head high after that?
Flesh: It was you know. Now that was right along the lines of hardships again. When I got out there were a couple of situations that happened where yeah I was arrested, real shit on the magnitude greater then what happen to me in the 90s! It’s like they coming down on me so hard for bullshit. I was in altercations and situations that were twice as serious being a multi-felon. I’m not out here causing no trouble, I’m out here staying focused on doing what I gotta do. I’m not out here breaking the law! So, why the hell they got laws for people? We gotta abide by them, if we abide by them you got to live and let live.
Those were the couple times of my life I walked out of the court room with dismissed cases, you know so it felt great! It may seem like it’s not fair, whatever, they may fuck around and fuck with you - but I’m telling you the truth prevails in every situation so it didnt matter about getting arrested. Everybody was looking around saying damn, Flesh just don’t quit! But they just didn’t understand overall what’s going on.
Q. Bone Thugs released a project with the 5 of you earlier this year. You’ve been able to sit back and look at that whole thing. How do you feel about Uni-5 and how that album all unfolded?
Flesh: The Uni-5 album is one of the most put together albums I’ve ever participated in. It’s really going down in the archives as one of the best performances by Bone if you ask me. It has Growth musically and lyrically. I couldn’t compare it to other albums because it’s something we haven’t done before. Its gonna bubble exactly how its been bubbling. Being at Warner, things didn’t go as according to plan. It is what it is, the album was a success being that it had all 5 members grace it and come back, so it’s like a historical project to me.
Q. When you got out, a lot of people expected it to be the five man group without the confusion that plagued the group in the past. Did it disappoint you that maybe things didn’t go as smoothly as planned?
Flesh: Well no. I can’t be disappointed George, you wanna know why? Because things change and people change. One of things we were successful at was that we were able to vibe with each other in order to work and be creative and do what we do. So it was more of a challenge then anything. It wasn‘t meant to be easy and I can’t be disappointed and upset the way things are right now. We tried our best and we did the best we could, and everything develops on its own. We haven’t seen whatever types of success are going to come our way from whatever we’re doing as long as we keep marching forward. Whatever my influence is, even while I was away, even if its by letter or by phone, I always have that touch, that connect with my brothers on whatever level.
This is how we were raised, it’s a struggle and it’s still a family thing right now. It may seem like a little disarray or you know, Bone not being on the same page, or whatever you want to call it. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is a brand in the business, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have five other different businesses that brothers working on trying to make successful as well. But we get there by taking care of what we need to do for Bone. I don’t care if Bizzy is in the middle of LA somewhere right now, the rest of us is out here on the road, or whatever, we got his back. So I’m not disappointed about whatever it is, what we go through on the road, or we on the phone handling business calls or whatever. There’s supposed to be disagreements, opinions and everything like that.
George: Now, where you guys are at, you talk about moving forward and you’re getting each other’s back. How are you moving forward right now, just to clarify, because you are a 5-man entity, are you guys working on a new album right now and who will be a part of that?
Flesh: We got several projects in the mix right now. And for the most part, we gonna stay touring as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and also we got other situations going on where me and Layzie doing a tour. Krayzie and Wish doing a tour overseas in Amsterdam. Me and Layzie having one in the States and in Canada. As a touring entity, for the most part, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, we’ve been out here on the road with a live band for over a month now and this is the new Bone Thugs-N-Harmony that I wanted to share, not just with the people that these states and cities that witness it, but get it out there and let them know that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony does consist of a live band performance act. We done got these brothers and sisters band together and it’s been absolutely explosive out here, when it comes to the live shows. So when you see Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at the next show, George, you will see what I’m talking about. It’s already going down in history. And it’s unanimously agreed that whenever we’re doing shows or tours together, these new guys that we got with us, we call them the Band-Aid Boys, are gonna be there to provide a live feel.
George: Now in terms of actual new music, are you guys moving ahead? I heard you were working on a new album, you referenced that. Is that going to be the 4 of you or 5 of you? What can fans expect? Because I know there’s a bit of confusion in terms of in the actual studio with the new album.
Flesh: We have tons of songs in the archives, we got songs with all 5 of us. We already have enough albums. We kind of did the Tupac thing Bone style. We went in, we crunched, came out with a ton of songs and we got that, but we still plug and putting together different songs and we gonna try and work on doing Bone in the best way we can however we get it. Jeremy (Geffen) put something out there and said, “Krayzie, Layzie, and Wish.” Alright, what if it was “Krayzie, Layzie, and Bizzy” just like it was “Krayzie, Layzie, and Wish” back in 2007? You never know what to expect, but there is no end to Bone. There’s never no end to Bone. Whatever’s going on, you better believe nobody has the right to ever say that this group that’s living as long as God is gonna allow us to live is ever retired or called it quits. I ain’t gonna swear, but I’m so angry that people were so quick to jump to putting that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony split because they had an argument. This is a business. It’s a life. So yeah, I’m working on a solo project. Layzie’s working on a solo project. Right now, I have a website that I’m getting ready to put all of my new music, and a few little hot artists that’s been working on helping me put this thing together. I got a tonne of music; it’s like a setup for the fans to check out everything that I’ve been working on, producing, fashion, and stuff like that.
George: When will that be ready?
Flesh: It’s ready now. I’ve been polishing up real good, but it’s ready to go right now. www.fleshnboneglobal.com. And then Spring 2011, I’m coming out with a full length LP “Blaze of Glory.”
George: You’ve already started working on that. I know people heard a few things. You mentioned some music now that people had heard in listening parties that haven’t seen the light of day. Songs like “Innovation,” and “Debt To Society.” Is that something we can expect to hear on a Bone album or Flesh album? Where can people expect this kind of music to come?
Flesh: You can expect to hear some of that, what you just mentioned, I ain’t gonna say which one, on fleshnboneglobal.com. And it’s getting ready to go up real soon. This is one of the things I’ve been working on diligently and it’s like, man, when you see it. I’ve been talking about it for the last 4 months it’s been in development. I’m glad it’s taking a little bit longer to really get it thought out, exactly the way this project should be thought out.
George: Now going back to the UNI-5 and the Warner Bros. situation, what are you guys looking at label wise, moving forward? Independent, or is there another label on the horizon?
Flesh: Well, you never know with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It’s always a little bit of everything. We’re gonna be focusing on mostly independent ventures right now. Distribution deals, strictly independent. Some projects we might have something going with who knows what, major wise. But like I say, it’s always a mixture of everything, and some of those deals consist of independent deals. So basically, not to frown on people like Warner that really didn’t know how to structure Bone, I’m not gonna bash them, but only a few of them though understood Bone, knew how to market Bone, and knew how to work and promote Bone successfully. In the past there were some that didn’t, that did a horrible job. But still, at the same time, it’s given us so much experience to where we have the type of platform to where we can go venture off on our own and do our own independent situation because we have a core fan base that’s just magnificent and huge and humongous. So why not do independent situations and if something come up to do something... who’s gonna not do something that makes sense?
George: You have an incredibly loyal fanbase. Now you talk about labels not understanding, and I think it goes beyond that. I look at you guys, and I never understood why that respect isn’t there the way it should be. With the amount of records sold and the music that you do. Do you feel under-appreciated as a brand? Does that piss you off?
Flesh: Yes I do feel underappreciated as a brand, and it should piss me off, but you know what, we’re striving to do Bone period. And motherfuckers don’t want to respect that, they gonna be influenced off what the fuck we do anyway, like they always have been since we been doing this shit, so who cares? Every fucking artist that came through every label, major and independent, from the 90’s, mid 90’s to the late 90’s to 2001 to 2010 has been designed in some type of way, or form, or fashion to do something that emulates Bone, “we need this from you,” “we need you to do this,” “no, go back. You’re gonna sound like this.” Whether it was R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop, it don’t matter. We influenced it. So yes, reality is reality. So when it comes down to it, ok here we are, and we’re back. We’re fresh. We’re a live band touring group now. We’re Hip-Hop, Rock, whatever you want to call it. You Should see the show. I’m just giving you an in-depth feel why It’s not cool that industry wise, to a certain degree, it’s heavily under-appreciated. But we gotta keep doing what we gotta do because our influence on them is still out there. I love a lot of these cats out here that’s putting it down. Everywhere we go, it’s always hugs and laughter and we be kickin’ it, it’s like this is what it’s about. Nobody trippin’ on nothing, they love Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, all of them. All the new cats, I love them too. The real is the real, because when we meet them, can’t nobody that ever run into Flesh, I don’t care who it is, Layzie, Wish, whatever gonna tell you that, “you know what? That’s a good dude right there. I don’t know what everybody else is trippin’ on.” So that’s that.
George: You’ve referenced your sound and obviously the influence it had on people. Your group is given the unique challenge that you’re so versatile and fans expect different things. I know one of the criticisms from your real hardcore fan base was there wasn’t as much aggressive content on the new album. it’s a good problem to have, but being so versatile how do you please the entire fanbase?
Flesh: Yeah, you want to try to do that. There’s no escaping it. You gotta try to please the fanbase, and I got some stuff on the site that’s been critiqued as having the heavy East 1999 sound in there a little bit. You gotta be creative. You always gotta be thinking and trying to do new stuff and growing with the shit as well, so we try to add mixture of remaining to our original essence of it, whatever that may be. And you know, we just grow with the sound period, but the fans do have a voice. We’re listening to it, we know what they’re saying. We’re delivering. We come up with different concepts or whatever we gotta do, because it’s fun doing these songs and talking about this, and talking about that because these are the things that people are relating to or they want this particular type of sound or whatever. And they say “ok.” They love you so much. This is how they’ll say, “ok, do something to sound like this for me, ok?” Shit, no problem. Why not? It’s fun.
George: That brings me to another question I had with the tracklisting of what you guys decided to put on UNI5, where maybe some of that aggressive stuff got left to the side. How was the final track selection? How did you guys go about doing that?
Flesh: Well, we went through a lot of heavy critique and thought, and we was definitely going for a particular sound while trying to maintain that hard edge at the same time. But you know, we went through a lot of ups and downs concerning that as well. A lot of the more aggressive shit was put on hold for the more mainstream, softer, poppish whatever sound. But when we put together the tracklist, Warner wanted to have a bit of an influence, but ultimately, we sat down and really carved out, you know, Krayzie, myself, Layzie, Wish, really said, “ok, we select the songs.” But Warner, at the end of the day, we was bumpin’ heads throughout the whole situation anyway because of whatever influences that was involved. But for the most part, we tried to keep the record clean and grown up, and to produce a more adult sound with an adult edge and that’s what we was on at that time. But for the most part, all music can’t be super, super aggressive, like have an adrenaline overdose, but yeah, some music gotta be soft sometime too. That’s one of the beauties about it. We try to give it a blend whenever we selecting the tracks and everything. Just try to give a nice little balance blend of little bit of all that. It’s like a finely crafted movie script, where you get it perfect, beginning, middle, and end.
George: So I guess that’s a good segue into how you’re tackling this next album, because you did say you have some left over stuff. Now I know that you guys as a group have gone into albums with concepts, like The Art of War, Resurrection, Strength & Loyalty, and I know this last one had more of that grown up sound. What would you say your mentality is as a group going in and recording new music for this group album specifically?
Flesh: Based upon the track selection, we line up the beats and everything. The studio vibe, the studio atmosphere is a beautiful one and everything. We get in there and the creative process, we take it by ear, whatever we’re feeling. It’s track by track. One of the cool things is that I’m doing beats today as well. I’m producing tracks, making a little cool contribution as far as the tracks are concerned, whatever we’re feeling, we put it up, concept it up, and take off. Whoever’s feeling the chorus line first is the first one to attack, get in there and crunch. But being that we do have music in the archives, we may select some songs that’s been heard already and remix a couple of them, even try to maybe do something with some solo songs on them too, to kinda segue into solo albums and everything like that. So we’ll get a project with a blend of where I might have 2 solo songs on there. Wish may, and Krayzie, and Layzie. So it’s gonna consist of something to that effect. Maybe. I’m just dropping a buzz, so how that comes together for this project it’ll be an easy one to record because I’ll be in the studio with whoever want to join me to put that together. But for the most part, it’ll be real easy for us to do what we gotta do with this. But who knows how it’s gonna go down, so it’s like we got a slew of projects in the making so it’s gonna be interesting to see how it all-- I can’t really reall say right now but we got some things in the mix, and in the works that I’m sure our fans are gonna enjoy and appreciate.
George: When can we expect to see that next Bone album?
Flesh: I would say before 2012 when it’s all said and done.
Flesh: See it was definitely a situation you know, it was exactly what it was, a downfall. When I wentand did all that shit, got arrested, that was like the start of a plethora of hardships for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony within itself. We was at the height of our career and everything, and I was going through that. I was facing 13 years, did like close to 9 of it, but it was like throughout that time it was hell. Of course it was.
That was that was the closest definition of hell you’re going to get. But you know, it didn’t detract me from being able to stay focused on what I needed to do as far as blowing myself up in there man, and as far as having an opportunity to be here right now. It’s like no words can describe it because I’ve been home for two years now. A lot of things have been developing as far as what’s been going on in the media and everything, about what’s this and that. A lot people gotta understand that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony consist of a 5 men entity. Just because we don’t see Bizzy doesn’t mean that we’re not checking on him and concerned about him and always in a need to know what’s going on with him and working with him constantly.
It doesn’t matter what’s being reported or said, as long as we’re doing what we’re doing to keep the brand moving forward and growing, like how we’re out here on the road right now. When we speak of hardships of what we been going through, that was heavy man! Away from family and friends like that for so long, it’s real serious. But I knew I had to stay sharp! I knew I had to get well and get better and do what I had to do in order to get out of there and continue to have an impact, because being in there, yeah you missing out on a certain aspect of life and everything, but you still studying everything and really, really researching like a fucking microscope, you penning everything. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand, there is something I missed out on or I may have been lacking, but I‘m a little bit more advanced when it comes to a certain level. Whatever hardship I’ve been going through, now I’m expressing and doing what I need to do, being blessed, because with every difficulty, every hardship, there’s comfort there’s ease, we gotta remember that. That’s what we at right now staying focused on business, doing what we need to do to set up the longevity we already got. We‘re trying to be here another 15-16-17 years.
Q. Now when you got out, it didn’t stop. It almost seemed like you know you couldn’t catch a break. There were a couple of other incidents and arrests. How hard was it to keep your head high after that?
Flesh: It was you know. Now that was right along the lines of hardships again. When I got out there were a couple of situations that happened where yeah I was arrested, real shit on the magnitude greater then what happen to me in the 90s! It’s like they coming down on me so hard for bullshit. I was in altercations and situations that were twice as serious being a multi-felon. I’m not out here causing no trouble, I’m out here staying focused on doing what I gotta do. I’m not out here breaking the law! So, why the hell they got laws for people? We gotta abide by them, if we abide by them you got to live and let live.
Those were the couple times of my life I walked out of the court room with dismissed cases, you know so it felt great! It may seem like it’s not fair, whatever, they may fuck around and fuck with you - but I’m telling you the truth prevails in every situation so it didnt matter about getting arrested. Everybody was looking around saying damn, Flesh just don’t quit! But they just didn’t understand overall what’s going on.
Q. Bone Thugs released a project with the 5 of you earlier this year. You’ve been able to sit back and look at that whole thing. How do you feel about Uni-5 and how that album all unfolded?
Flesh: The Uni-5 album is one of the most put together albums I’ve ever participated in. It’s really going down in the archives as one of the best performances by Bone if you ask me. It has Growth musically and lyrically. I couldn’t compare it to other albums because it’s something we haven’t done before. Its gonna bubble exactly how its been bubbling. Being at Warner, things didn’t go as according to plan. It is what it is, the album was a success being that it had all 5 members grace it and come back, so it’s like a historical project to me.
Q. When you got out, a lot of people expected it to be the five man group without the confusion that plagued the group in the past. Did it disappoint you that maybe things didn’t go as smoothly as planned?
Flesh: Well no. I can’t be disappointed George, you wanna know why? Because things change and people change. One of things we were successful at was that we were able to vibe with each other in order to work and be creative and do what we do. So it was more of a challenge then anything. It wasn‘t meant to be easy and I can’t be disappointed and upset the way things are right now. We tried our best and we did the best we could, and everything develops on its own. We haven’t seen whatever types of success are going to come our way from whatever we’re doing as long as we keep marching forward. Whatever my influence is, even while I was away, even if its by letter or by phone, I always have that touch, that connect with my brothers on whatever level.
This is how we were raised, it’s a struggle and it’s still a family thing right now. It may seem like a little disarray or you know, Bone not being on the same page, or whatever you want to call it. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is a brand in the business, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have five other different businesses that brothers working on trying to make successful as well. But we get there by taking care of what we need to do for Bone. I don’t care if Bizzy is in the middle of LA somewhere right now, the rest of us is out here on the road, or whatever, we got his back. So I’m not disappointed about whatever it is, what we go through on the road, or we on the phone handling business calls or whatever. There’s supposed to be disagreements, opinions and everything like that.
George: Now, where you guys are at, you talk about moving forward and you’re getting each other’s back. How are you moving forward right now, just to clarify, because you are a 5-man entity, are you guys working on a new album right now and who will be a part of that?
Flesh: We got several projects in the mix right now. And for the most part, we gonna stay touring as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and also we got other situations going on where me and Layzie doing a tour. Krayzie and Wish doing a tour overseas in Amsterdam. Me and Layzie having one in the States and in Canada. As a touring entity, for the most part, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, we’ve been out here on the road with a live band for over a month now and this is the new Bone Thugs-N-Harmony that I wanted to share, not just with the people that these states and cities that witness it, but get it out there and let them know that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony does consist of a live band performance act. We done got these brothers and sisters band together and it’s been absolutely explosive out here, when it comes to the live shows. So when you see Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at the next show, George, you will see what I’m talking about. It’s already going down in history. And it’s unanimously agreed that whenever we’re doing shows or tours together, these new guys that we got with us, we call them the Band-Aid Boys, are gonna be there to provide a live feel.
George: Now in terms of actual new music, are you guys moving ahead? I heard you were working on a new album, you referenced that. Is that going to be the 4 of you or 5 of you? What can fans expect? Because I know there’s a bit of confusion in terms of in the actual studio with the new album.
Flesh: We have tons of songs in the archives, we got songs with all 5 of us. We already have enough albums. We kind of did the Tupac thing Bone style. We went in, we crunched, came out with a ton of songs and we got that, but we still plug and putting together different songs and we gonna try and work on doing Bone in the best way we can however we get it. Jeremy (Geffen) put something out there and said, “Krayzie, Layzie, and Wish.” Alright, what if it was “Krayzie, Layzie, and Bizzy” just like it was “Krayzie, Layzie, and Wish” back in 2007? You never know what to expect, but there is no end to Bone. There’s never no end to Bone. Whatever’s going on, you better believe nobody has the right to ever say that this group that’s living as long as God is gonna allow us to live is ever retired or called it quits. I ain’t gonna swear, but I’m so angry that people were so quick to jump to putting that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony split because they had an argument. This is a business. It’s a life. So yeah, I’m working on a solo project. Layzie’s working on a solo project. Right now, I have a website that I’m getting ready to put all of my new music, and a few little hot artists that’s been working on helping me put this thing together. I got a tonne of music; it’s like a setup for the fans to check out everything that I’ve been working on, producing, fashion, and stuff like that.
George: When will that be ready?
Flesh: It’s ready now. I’ve been polishing up real good, but it’s ready to go right now. www.fleshnboneglobal.com. And then Spring 2011, I’m coming out with a full length LP “Blaze of Glory.”
George: You’ve already started working on that. I know people heard a few things. You mentioned some music now that people had heard in listening parties that haven’t seen the light of day. Songs like “Innovation,” and “Debt To Society.” Is that something we can expect to hear on a Bone album or Flesh album? Where can people expect this kind of music to come?
Flesh: You can expect to hear some of that, what you just mentioned, I ain’t gonna say which one, on fleshnboneglobal.com. And it’s getting ready to go up real soon. This is one of the things I’ve been working on diligently and it’s like, man, when you see it. I’ve been talking about it for the last 4 months it’s been in development. I’m glad it’s taking a little bit longer to really get it thought out, exactly the way this project should be thought out.
George: Now going back to the UNI-5 and the Warner Bros. situation, what are you guys looking at label wise, moving forward? Independent, or is there another label on the horizon?
Flesh: Well, you never know with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It’s always a little bit of everything. We’re gonna be focusing on mostly independent ventures right now. Distribution deals, strictly independent. Some projects we might have something going with who knows what, major wise. But like I say, it’s always a mixture of everything, and some of those deals consist of independent deals. So basically, not to frown on people like Warner that really didn’t know how to structure Bone, I’m not gonna bash them, but only a few of them though understood Bone, knew how to market Bone, and knew how to work and promote Bone successfully. In the past there were some that didn’t, that did a horrible job. But still, at the same time, it’s given us so much experience to where we have the type of platform to where we can go venture off on our own and do our own independent situation because we have a core fan base that’s just magnificent and huge and humongous. So why not do independent situations and if something come up to do something... who’s gonna not do something that makes sense?
George: You have an incredibly loyal fanbase. Now you talk about labels not understanding, and I think it goes beyond that. I look at you guys, and I never understood why that respect isn’t there the way it should be. With the amount of records sold and the music that you do. Do you feel under-appreciated as a brand? Does that piss you off?
Flesh: Yes I do feel underappreciated as a brand, and it should piss me off, but you know what, we’re striving to do Bone period. And motherfuckers don’t want to respect that, they gonna be influenced off what the fuck we do anyway, like they always have been since we been doing this shit, so who cares? Every fucking artist that came through every label, major and independent, from the 90’s, mid 90’s to the late 90’s to 2001 to 2010 has been designed in some type of way, or form, or fashion to do something that emulates Bone, “we need this from you,” “we need you to do this,” “no, go back. You’re gonna sound like this.” Whether it was R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop, it don’t matter. We influenced it. So yes, reality is reality. So when it comes down to it, ok here we are, and we’re back. We’re fresh. We’re a live band touring group now. We’re Hip-Hop, Rock, whatever you want to call it. You Should see the show. I’m just giving you an in-depth feel why It’s not cool that industry wise, to a certain degree, it’s heavily under-appreciated. But we gotta keep doing what we gotta do because our influence on them is still out there. I love a lot of these cats out here that’s putting it down. Everywhere we go, it’s always hugs and laughter and we be kickin’ it, it’s like this is what it’s about. Nobody trippin’ on nothing, they love Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, all of them. All the new cats, I love them too. The real is the real, because when we meet them, can’t nobody that ever run into Flesh, I don’t care who it is, Layzie, Wish, whatever gonna tell you that, “you know what? That’s a good dude right there. I don’t know what everybody else is trippin’ on.” So that’s that.
George: You’ve referenced your sound and obviously the influence it had on people. Your group is given the unique challenge that you’re so versatile and fans expect different things. I know one of the criticisms from your real hardcore fan base was there wasn’t as much aggressive content on the new album. it’s a good problem to have, but being so versatile how do you please the entire fanbase?
Flesh: Yeah, you want to try to do that. There’s no escaping it. You gotta try to please the fanbase, and I got some stuff on the site that’s been critiqued as having the heavy East 1999 sound in there a little bit. You gotta be creative. You always gotta be thinking and trying to do new stuff and growing with the shit as well, so we try to add mixture of remaining to our original essence of it, whatever that may be. And you know, we just grow with the sound period, but the fans do have a voice. We’re listening to it, we know what they’re saying. We’re delivering. We come up with different concepts or whatever we gotta do, because it’s fun doing these songs and talking about this, and talking about that because these are the things that people are relating to or they want this particular type of sound or whatever. And they say “ok.” They love you so much. This is how they’ll say, “ok, do something to sound like this for me, ok?” Shit, no problem. Why not? It’s fun.
George: That brings me to another question I had with the tracklisting of what you guys decided to put on UNI5, where maybe some of that aggressive stuff got left to the side. How was the final track selection? How did you guys go about doing that?
Flesh: Well, we went through a lot of heavy critique and thought, and we was definitely going for a particular sound while trying to maintain that hard edge at the same time. But you know, we went through a lot of ups and downs concerning that as well. A lot of the more aggressive shit was put on hold for the more mainstream, softer, poppish whatever sound. But when we put together the tracklist, Warner wanted to have a bit of an influence, but ultimately, we sat down and really carved out, you know, Krayzie, myself, Layzie, Wish, really said, “ok, we select the songs.” But Warner, at the end of the day, we was bumpin’ heads throughout the whole situation anyway because of whatever influences that was involved. But for the most part, we tried to keep the record clean and grown up, and to produce a more adult sound with an adult edge and that’s what we was on at that time. But for the most part, all music can’t be super, super aggressive, like have an adrenaline overdose, but yeah, some music gotta be soft sometime too. That’s one of the beauties about it. We try to give it a blend whenever we selecting the tracks and everything. Just try to give a nice little balance blend of little bit of all that. It’s like a finely crafted movie script, where you get it perfect, beginning, middle, and end.
George: So I guess that’s a good segue into how you’re tackling this next album, because you did say you have some left over stuff. Now I know that you guys as a group have gone into albums with concepts, like The Art of War, Resurrection, Strength & Loyalty, and I know this last one had more of that grown up sound. What would you say your mentality is as a group going in and recording new music for this group album specifically?
Flesh: Based upon the track selection, we line up the beats and everything. The studio vibe, the studio atmosphere is a beautiful one and everything. We get in there and the creative process, we take it by ear, whatever we’re feeling. It’s track by track. One of the cool things is that I’m doing beats today as well. I’m producing tracks, making a little cool contribution as far as the tracks are concerned, whatever we’re feeling, we put it up, concept it up, and take off. Whoever’s feeling the chorus line first is the first one to attack, get in there and crunch. But being that we do have music in the archives, we may select some songs that’s been heard already and remix a couple of them, even try to maybe do something with some solo songs on them too, to kinda segue into solo albums and everything like that. So we’ll get a project with a blend of where I might have 2 solo songs on there. Wish may, and Krayzie, and Layzie. So it’s gonna consist of something to that effect. Maybe. I’m just dropping a buzz, so how that comes together for this project it’ll be an easy one to record because I’ll be in the studio with whoever want to join me to put that together. But for the most part, it’ll be real easy for us to do what we gotta do with this. But who knows how it’s gonna go down, so it’s like we got a slew of projects in the making so it’s gonna be interesting to see how it all-- I can’t really reall say right now but we got some things in the mix, and in the works that I’m sure our fans are gonna enjoy and appreciate.
George: When can we expect to see that next Bone album?
Flesh: I would say before 2012 when it’s all said and done.