Bone Thugs N Harmony – Resurrection
Description
In 1997, the group released the double-disc set The Art of War. Bone explored a variety of subjects and styles, with focus on God and family and an overall ambient, mellow sound. The group incorporated violent lyrics, however, with a large portion of the album dedicated to what they labeled “clones” who claimed Bone had stolen their quick-tongued rapping style and vice versa. The album had been rumored to be titled “DNA Level C” which is Cleveland backwards. The single “Look into My Eyes” appeared on the soundtrack of the film Batman & Robin. It peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. “If I Could Teach the World“, the other single from The Art of War, peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks, and won an American Music Award. The album also included “Thug Luv” with Tupac Shakur. The group’s promotional efforts were dampened by the absence of Bizzy Bone from the album’s videos and from large portions of the ensuing tour and other public appearances. This absence eventually fueled rumors of a break-up.
Around this time, the lyrical content of some of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s songs came under scrutiny, with their music being involved in the criminal trials of Michael Tisius and Mitchell Johnson.
In 2000, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released BTNHResurrection, featuring the single “Resurrection (Paper, Paper)“, which peaked on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 52. The album’s first half featured a slew of hardcore and dark tracks, with the second half being considerably more introspective and soft. Other singles from the album, including “Can’t Give it Up”, failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100, and the big-budget video for “Change the World” failed to receive any rotation. This was their first group album to prominently feature Flesh-n-Bone, whose presence had been limited on previous releases because he had never signed with the group’s label, Ruthless Records. Flesh was convicted for assault with a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon in June 2000. Pleading guilty, Flesh was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The group again began having public disputes with Bizzy Bone. Bizzy Bone abstained from promoting BTNHResurrection because he felt that Ruthless Records owed him money. He dropped a million-dollar lawsuit he had filed against Sony Music and Loud Records in exchange for a termination of his Sony contract. Three members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released solo albums in 2001: Bizzy Bone with The Gift, Layzie Bone (under the name L-Burna) with Thug by Nature, and Krayzie Bone with Thug on da Line.
2002–2006: Thug World Order and Thug Stories
In 2002, the group released Thug World Order. This album, comprising what were described “politically slanted” songs, saw a drastic change in subject matter and tone for the group. The lyrics were almost completely void of any violence, while a larger number of tracks focused on the group itself. In contrast, several songs originally intended to be included on the album that were leaked after its release portrayed a much different album. The album debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.[14] The first single released from the album was “Money, Money” and the second was “Get Up & Get It”, featuring 3LW. The third single, “Home”, which featured Phil Collins performing part of his song “Take Me Home“, peaked at No. 33 on the Rhythmic Top 40, impacting the charts in a number of countries, most notably the United Kingdom. Bizzy Bone was expelled from the group in January 2003, leaving only 3 active members: Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Thug World Order was also Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s final album with Ruthless Records.
Thug Stories, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s seventh album, was recorded on Koch Records and released on September 19, 2006. It marked the first time Bone Thugs-n-Harmony had recorded as a trio since they released an internet-only EP album called Bone 4 Life in September 2005. Thug Stories featured a slightly more mature style, and the group leaned more heavily towards its harmonic roots than its “thug” origins. The album sold 38,000 in its first week and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart.
