Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: The Inspiration
With a new deal on Interscrope, these Mid-West veterans are poised to make a big comeback in 2007. XXLMAG.COM spoke with Krayzie Bone hooking up with Swizz Beatz, falling out with Bizzy and working with Biggie and ’Pac.
An event like the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors is in place to pay homage to the pillars of rap music and culture. The honorees are recognized for blazing a trail and exemplifying remarkable strengths in leadership, MC innovation and the ability to attain chart-topping success. But when Bone Thugs-N-Harmony appeared at this year’s Honors, it was to pay tribute to their late mentor Eazy-E. The innovative group has been all things to all men and women from the streets of Cleveland, Ohio to the Hollywood Hills, yet their story is far from over.
After their 1995 classic, E 1999 Eternal, made them a household name and a crossover pop success, much of their subsequent output was marred by internal dissention and sub-par production. Still, with a slew of independent albums like this year’s Koch Records release, Bone retained one of the most tenacious fan bases in hip-hop. Now, with Bizzy Bone out of the picture, the three remaining members (Krayzie, Layzie and Wish) have hooked up with Swizz Beatz for a new album on Interscope that promises to recapture the magic of their hey day. XXLMAG.COM spoke with Krayzie Bone for an inside look at Bone Thug’s new alliance with Swizz Beatz, the family strife with Bizzy and their history with The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.
How did you first hook up with Swizz?
We were actually about to shop the Bone Thugs N Harmony album [to KOCH]. It took a while for all of us to come together and everybody coming on the same level. This was even when Bizzy was in the picture. It took us all a while to come together. Before we even started shopping it, Swizz had heard that we weren’t signed to anybody. He was like, “Man, get the fuck outta here. You’re bullshittin’! I’m a Bone’ fan, what do I have to do to work with them? What’s happening?” He expressed his interest and then when we heard it, we was like, “Hell yeah, Swizz Beatz is hotter than a motherfucker! He a monster for real like, hell yeah let’s do this.” We get on the phone with Swizz, he told us what’s happening and he was like, “I just wanna get all you in the studio and record a couple songs and see what we come up with.” So he flew us out to New York and in one week’s time we knocked out twenty songs.
Take me through the process of working with Swizz.
Basically, all we needed was the beats. He would come kick it with us for a while, play us everything he had and we would basically be like, “That right there, that right there, let’s do it.” Two or three songs a night, just banging them out. The chemistry is like, bam! And I never thought it would be like that, but Swizz is more totalitarian. He got right on it, did what he had to do and put us right where we needed to be.
Why didn’t Bizzy end up being a part of the deal?
When the paperwork came, that’s when Bizzy flipped out. He just started going crazy, doing crazy-ass interviews on the radio stations. He called us one day and told us he didn’t want to be in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. We was like, “Man, what the fuck? These people do all this motherfuckin’ paperwork and then you gonna play us once again?” That’s why we cut ties with him right there.
So you started fresh with Interscope?
Yeah. We was like, Man, if we bring him into our situation right now, he’s gonna fuck everything up for us and ain’t nobody gonna wanna fuck with us.
So that’s it? He’s basically finished…
I mean, for right now. He ain’t never done being our nigga, our brother. He will always be our family, but you know how you got family members you gotta leave alone for a while?
I know you’re all real spiritual. Where did that come from?
All of our families. All Black people’s families, there’s somebody in their family that’s religious. Whether it be a grandma or an aunt. Myself, I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. That’s definitely where mine comes from. Layzie Bone’s grandma was a Jehovah’s Witness. Religion has been around me my whole life, so it’s just there. It’s in us. We’re not the kind of people that believe that human beings evolved. We believe in God.
What was it like performing a tribute to Eazy-E at VH1’s Hip Hop Honors?
It was cool. I feel like it was only right to have us representing. I know Eazy-E did a lot before he met Bone, and we was actually the last thing he did, but I felt like when people think of Eazy-E, they automatically think of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. That’s why I felt like we shoulda been there. It was an honor to be there.
You’re one of the only artists who worked with both Big and Pac when they were alive. What did they mean to you all as artists?
Aw, man. It meant a lot because we got into the game around the same time Biggie did and around the same time ’Pac was getting respect. So it means a lot because those was niggas of our era. Those was niggas of our era who came in the game and was successful like us. It’s definitely a blessing to even know them and to be one of the few artists that can do a song with ‘Pac today or Biggie and say I actually knew the niggas. Y’all niggas are doing songs with those niggas, y’all niggas never knew them. We knew these niggas, we met them. We kicked it with these niggas. So it’s a whole different experience. It’s good that we have that under our belt.
What was it like being in the studio with Big?
I mean, when we did the song with Biggie, shit happened in a day. I think our manager got a call from Puff. He was like, “What do I gotta do to get Bone on this Biggie record? Biggie wanna do a song with Bone.” We was like, “Shit, we’re in LA right now, what’s up? We can go into the studio today.” He set up the time and was like, “Let’s go.” So we went to the studio, Biggie had it all set up; the Hennessey, the herb, the food. We was just vibing out. We went in there and passed out after we smoked the weed. Basically, it was crazy. But we still knocked the song out.
Y’all got Biggie to switch his style up.
Man, I ain’t even gonna lie, when I heard it I was like, that’s what’s up. It showed people how versatile he was.
How’d you get up with 2Pac?
The first time we saw ’Pac was when he told us that our song had got him through his little jail time. We was checking into a hotel and he was getting ready to leave and go to the studio. So we were standing in the same hotel, I think it was Le Park Hotel out in California. We was going to check in and we bumped into him and we was like, “Oh shit, ’Pac, what’s happening?” We started hollering at him for a minute. He told us that and then we asked him, “Man, you wouldn’t happen to have any weed on you, would you?” And then he was like, “Aw, hell yeah, I got y’all.” Went to the car, got it out of the car and gave us a little herb and shit. He was like, “You know we gotta hook up and do something.” We was like, “Niggas all ready. You know that’s what everybody wanna hear.”
What do you think Bone means to hip-hop?
To me, we bring versatility and leadership. We’re innovators and originators in the game. Showing people that going against the odds and winning in this music business is definitely possible. People [will] tell you, your shit’s not hot. Believe me, a lot of people told us that shit. “That rapping and singing shit y’all doing, that shit ain’t kickin’ it.” A lot of people told us that shit, but we stuck with it because we knew what we had was different and all we had to do was get it to the right person.
xxlmag.com
An event like the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors is in place to pay homage to the pillars of rap music and culture. The honorees are recognized for blazing a trail and exemplifying remarkable strengths in leadership, MC innovation and the ability to attain chart-topping success. But when Bone Thugs-N-Harmony appeared at this year’s Honors, it was to pay tribute to their late mentor Eazy-E. The innovative group has been all things to all men and women from the streets of Cleveland, Ohio to the Hollywood Hills, yet their story is far from over.After their 1995 classic, E 1999 Eternal, made them a household name and a crossover pop success, much of their subsequent output was marred by internal dissention and sub-par production. Still, with a slew of independent albums like this year’s Koch Records release, Bone retained one of the most tenacious fan bases in hip-hop. Now, with Bizzy Bone out of the picture, the three remaining members (Krayzie, Layzie and Wish) have hooked up with Swizz Beatz for a new album on Interscope that promises to recapture the magic of their hey day. XXLMAG.COM spoke with Krayzie Bone for an inside look at Bone Thug’s new alliance with Swizz Beatz, the family strife with Bizzy and their history with The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.
How did you first hook up with Swizz?
We were actually about to shop the Bone Thugs N Harmony album [to KOCH]. It took a while for all of us to come together and everybody coming on the same level. This was even when Bizzy was in the picture. It took us all a while to come together. Before we even started shopping it, Swizz had heard that we weren’t signed to anybody. He was like, “Man, get the fuck outta here. You’re bullshittin’! I’m a Bone’ fan, what do I have to do to work with them? What’s happening?” He expressed his interest and then when we heard it, we was like, “Hell yeah, Swizz Beatz is hotter than a motherfucker! He a monster for real like, hell yeah let’s do this.” We get on the phone with Swizz, he told us what’s happening and he was like, “I just wanna get all you in the studio and record a couple songs and see what we come up with.” So he flew us out to New York and in one week’s time we knocked out twenty songs.
Take me through the process of working with Swizz.
Basically, all we needed was the beats. He would come kick it with us for a while, play us everything he had and we would basically be like, “That right there, that right there, let’s do it.” Two or three songs a night, just banging them out. The chemistry is like, bam! And I never thought it would be like that, but Swizz is more totalitarian. He got right on it, did what he had to do and put us right where we needed to be.
Why didn’t Bizzy end up being a part of the deal?
When the paperwork came, that’s when Bizzy flipped out. He just started going crazy, doing crazy-ass interviews on the radio stations. He called us one day and told us he didn’t want to be in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. We was like, “Man, what the fuck? These people do all this motherfuckin’ paperwork and then you gonna play us once again?” That’s why we cut ties with him right there.
So you started fresh with Interscope?
Yeah. We was like, Man, if we bring him into our situation right now, he’s gonna fuck everything up for us and ain’t nobody gonna wanna fuck with us.
So that’s it? He’s basically finished…
I mean, for right now. He ain’t never done being our nigga, our brother. He will always be our family, but you know how you got family members you gotta leave alone for a while?
I know you’re all real spiritual. Where did that come from?
All of our families. All Black people’s families, there’s somebody in their family that’s religious. Whether it be a grandma or an aunt. Myself, I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. That’s definitely where mine comes from. Layzie Bone’s grandma was a Jehovah’s Witness. Religion has been around me my whole life, so it’s just there. It’s in us. We’re not the kind of people that believe that human beings evolved. We believe in God.
What was it like performing a tribute to Eazy-E at VH1’s Hip Hop Honors?
It was cool. I feel like it was only right to have us representing. I know Eazy-E did a lot before he met Bone, and we was actually the last thing he did, but I felt like when people think of Eazy-E, they automatically think of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. That’s why I felt like we shoulda been there. It was an honor to be there.
You’re one of the only artists who worked with both Big and Pac when they were alive. What did they mean to you all as artists?
Aw, man. It meant a lot because we got into the game around the same time Biggie did and around the same time ’Pac was getting respect. So it means a lot because those was niggas of our era. Those was niggas of our era who came in the game and was successful like us. It’s definitely a blessing to even know them and to be one of the few artists that can do a song with ‘Pac today or Biggie and say I actually knew the niggas. Y’all niggas are doing songs with those niggas, y’all niggas never knew them. We knew these niggas, we met them. We kicked it with these niggas. So it’s a whole different experience. It’s good that we have that under our belt.
What was it like being in the studio with Big?
I mean, when we did the song with Biggie, shit happened in a day. I think our manager got a call from Puff. He was like, “What do I gotta do to get Bone on this Biggie record? Biggie wanna do a song with Bone.” We was like, “Shit, we’re in LA right now, what’s up? We can go into the studio today.” He set up the time and was like, “Let’s go.” So we went to the studio, Biggie had it all set up; the Hennessey, the herb, the food. We was just vibing out. We went in there and passed out after we smoked the weed. Basically, it was crazy. But we still knocked the song out.
Y’all got Biggie to switch his style up.
Man, I ain’t even gonna lie, when I heard it I was like, that’s what’s up. It showed people how versatile he was.
How’d you get up with 2Pac?
The first time we saw ’Pac was when he told us that our song had got him through his little jail time. We was checking into a hotel and he was getting ready to leave and go to the studio. So we were standing in the same hotel, I think it was Le Park Hotel out in California. We was going to check in and we bumped into him and we was like, “Oh shit, ’Pac, what’s happening?” We started hollering at him for a minute. He told us that and then we asked him, “Man, you wouldn’t happen to have any weed on you, would you?” And then he was like, “Aw, hell yeah, I got y’all.” Went to the car, got it out of the car and gave us a little herb and shit. He was like, “You know we gotta hook up and do something.” We was like, “Niggas all ready. You know that’s what everybody wanna hear.”
What do you think Bone means to hip-hop?
To me, we bring versatility and leadership. We’re innovators and originators in the game. Showing people that going against the odds and winning in this music business is definitely possible. People [will] tell you, your shit’s not hot. Believe me, a lot of people told us that shit. “That rapping and singing shit y’all doing, that shit ain’t kickin’ it.” A lot of people told us that shit, but we stuck with it because we knew what we had was different and all we had to do was get it to the right person.
xxlmag.com
posted by Brandon at 9:24 AM
0 comments
