by Alex Shtaerman
Usually we reserve the term “Hip-Hop pioneer” for artists that debuted in the ’80’s and ’70’s. Remember all the conversations with that dumb friend of yours? You tried and tried but you could never get dude to realize anything. What an idiot. It makes you mad just thinking about it.
“What?! You never heard of Afrika Bambaataa?”
“Nah, I don’t think so. Is he down wit Death Row or G-Unit?”
That stupid look in his eye would always make you angry. That “I don’t really believe you but I’ll play along if you insist” look. That “how could anyone not on MTV be a pioneer?” look. That “I’ll forget what you said in 30 seconds” look. Don’t worry it wasn’t your fault. People are mindless sheep and most are even dumber than that. But just as you know that most Hip-Hop pioneers never sold millions of records or made it to reality TV, you also know that there were many who did sell millions and at one time or another were pop icons for the whole world to see. You also know that 1989 was not the last year of eligibility for Hip-Hop icons to emerge. How could it be? In 1991 there was Pac, Enter the 36 Chambers dropped in ’93 and in ’94 there was Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Even your dumb friend knows about Crossroads.
Yes, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are Hip-Hop pioneers, Hip-Hop legends. Hip-Hop media doesn’t always say this though. How come? ‘Cause they’re scared, they’ll wait ten years and then they’ll tell you. Fuck that. That’s why we say it here. I’ll probably be doing something else in ten years so I’ma tell you right now. Bone put the whole Midwest on a bi-coastal map. Their unique sound prompted multi-platinum record sales and for the first time brought the spotlight to the long-neglected Midwestern Hip-Hop community. Bone’s second LP E. 1999 Eternal became the second biggest rap album of all time as Crossroads eclipsed a 32 year old record held by The Beatles for fastest rising single. These are the facts. And if you’ve listened to the music you know my argument is not based on record sales.
Now that we’ve covered the past, let’s catch up on the present. In recent years Bone has seen its share of internal conflict and label problems, your typical industry bullshit; things that artists shouldn’t be concerned with but due to the fact that musicians are essentially assets in business ventures it is inevitable that certain misfortunes will befall them sooner or later. Yes, there are some pitfalls to capitalism after all. But artists never stop creating and through it all Bone Thugs-N-Harmony has continued to record and release new music. This fall Bizzy Bone, Bone’s front man, returns with his fifth solo album titled Speaking in Tongues. Often at the center of controversy, Bizzy talks to us about the new record, some Bone history and his new home 845 Entertainment.
By the way, Bizzy also has a new online reality series, you can view all the episodes for free at AllHipHop.com.
RIOTSOUND.COM: You recently signed with 845 Entertainment, a label formed by the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s former manager. How did that situation materialize and what prompted you to sign with 845?
BIZZY BONE: When you used to manage ODB you ain’t going to have no trouble with me. That’s balls man, seriously. For a guy like me that was just beautiful. With the situation I was in I couldn’t get any investors. I put together some of the most immaculate proposals, a beautiful resume, beautiful comeback as far as money, blah blah blah blah blah – [and still] nobody was trying to holler at me, nobody was trying to take a chance. And 845 said – hey, if nobody else wants to mess with you man, I think you’re talented and we would love to deal with you.
And I was like – you know what, let’s kick some ass then. So we put it together and they gave me a healthy back end and I’m living good. I got clean clothes on, ’bout to get a place; everything feels really good right now man and they have me where I really wanna be. I told ’em, I need to be close to Alicia [Keys] and they said -well go ahead and come on out here on the east coast. I feel better, everything is good, I’m close to Alicia and I’m right here and everything is lovely.
RIOTSOUND.COM: Your new album Speaking In Tongues just dropped; what can fans expect this time around, how different is this album going to be from your previous solo records?
BIZZY BONE: Very different, the styling is very different, the assortment of songs is very different. This is a beautiful album and it just seems like it keeps getting better and better and better. It is a beautiful beautiful album. [On the album] we got the fast style, we got the slow style, we got every kind of style you want. So that’s what we’re going to have and of course [the fans] are going to recognize the signature voice and those things as well. So this is a very very good album.
When you do an album like this you are able to just be yourself. Nobody is pressuring you to rap fast and when you don’t get that pressure you tend to rap faster. You know like when you’re free – it’s like being with a woman in bed and being worried about premature ejaculation. If you don’t worry about it you can go all night. If you’re worrying about it like oh no, oh no, hold on, lemme slow down, lemme slow down, that’s when you can’t just let it flow free and with this album it is flowing free, this is like beautiful love man. And every time I listen to it in different situations I get to see different things.
[This album] is an addition to the movement of love, togetherness, happiness and breaking down the barriers of what may be happening bad in your life and just moving forward. It’s like touching down and being like – wow, look at the world, its beautiful and everything is new, every day is brand new. It’s beautiful man, it really really is, it’s a very nice project and I am very happy that 845 took a chance. They took a chance and I’m here to show and prove man. And not just show and prove but be loyal to who’s being loyal with me. And that’s kinda where I’m at with it.
RIOTSOUND.COM: What issues are you going to be addressing on this record; as far as subject matter what are you touching on?
BIZZY BONE: We’re going to be addressing people trying to hold you down, definitely there are spiritual issues and just different issues. Definitely [we’ll be addressing] the streets, having fun, love, recollection, just things as far as remembering the past with the Bone crew and different things of that nature, just some real heartfelt stuff. Straight from the heart man, straight from heart. Those are the different issues and the album is called Speaking In Tongues so there are going to be a lot of different things people are going to hear through it.
This album is very well put together, 845 did a beautiful job. I really appreciate them guys and I really love them guys, they are really really good to me. If I need anything they are right there for me. If there’s anything that I need they just give it to me. I mean I’m not going to ask you for five million dollars, I’m not that kind of guy. I just need a couple of things here and there. I might need to get a new watch or a new chain or something like that so when we represent ourselves or I’m doing something people aren’t looking at me like – man, you’re still homeless? And then they wanna give me a hundred dollars to do a song [laughs].
RIOTSOUND.COM: When Bone Thugs-N-Harmony came out ya’ll didn’t just sell millions of records, you brought a whole new style of music to the table. Going back fifteen years or so can you talk about where your signature style came from and who you were influenced by?
BIZZY BONE: When Krayzie Bone got out of jail he came to the table with this new rap he wrote. We were kinda already touching on [that style] but not like he wrote it down. And he was like “look man, everybody should rap like this in the group, that’s going to be what it is, I’m tellin’ you”. It basically was a blessing, and it wasn’t even about him doing something for [himself], he did it for everybody. It was like – I didn’t go to jail and put this together for nothing, I came to do this for everybody. So he put it together and he brought it to the table and everybody started going to work like school man. We was just all huddled up in a circle [perfecting that style] and we kicked ass man.
You would have to probably talk to Krayzie to see where in jail did he finally come to that conclusion. Aaliyah touched [on that style] on the very first album and Pac was touching on it with the Brenda’s Got A Baby album, different artists were around it. It was there like Cab Calloway or Luther Vandross, it was there but it just took a little bit of time to come out and I am grateful and thankful that god gave us that opportunity to have that with us. So I’m just grateful and thankful to god and very very thankful for Krayzie being the way that he was and is, he’s a very sharing and very giving person. He’s a very quiet person and that guy is a beautiful fella right there, I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world. He’s a beautiful man, that’s my dude.
RIOTSOUND.COM: My grandfather recently passed and I was just listening to Crossroads over and over for a few days straight. That song must have literally affected millions of people. There are very few songs of that nature that really make people feel something so powerful. I am sure you have heard this many times before, how does it make you feel knowing the type of impact your music has had?
BIZZY BONE: Grateful, blessed and very very thankful to god for the opportunity to exist and the opportunity to breathe and to be able to bring that forth and for anybody else to be able to hear that. Just grateful man, just very very grateful, very humbled and it’s a lovely thing to even hear. And it actually is happening, its like – you know what, you’re not blowing smoke up my rump, you’re telling me the truth and we’re really touching people and its really beautiful and I’m just grateful, just so grateful.
RIOTSOUND.COM: There’s been some controversy in recent years swirling around yourself and the other members of Bone. In the past few months there have been issues as well, what can you say about the whole situation with Bone at the present time?
BIZZY BONE: Man, just tell the dudes to get rid of the entourage and we can put our album out. That’s the only thing I’m saying. Get rid of those fucking people that’s just surrounding them and just taking pieces from ’em. I can’t stand that shit, I can’t man. We came up outta the dirt, outta the gutter and to have a bunch of people just looming around and shit and acting like they been down from jumpstreet – and I’m like – I don’t even know ya’ll motherfuckas. We’re the ones that got to get up there and do what we got to do so why are ya’ll bothering us? Why are ya’ll being around us? Why are ya’ll talking about us?
Why are ya’ll putting this member against that member and that member against this member? Got gang members trying to beat someone up ’cause you are supposedly owed money. And it’s like – the same thing that you doing, we can do it ourselves. It’s like five of us! There go your lawyer, your accountant, your CEO, your president, your vice president, your treasurer, secretary and anything fuckin’ else you want. ‘Cause right there we got that shit right there with us.
And motherfuckas are damn near thirty years old man. Pick up a book, go to school, get a little degree and there goes the lawyer. What the fuck, what’s the problem? Get rid of the entourage. Once they get out the way Bone can do anything they wanna do. As long as we got each other we’ll be OK man. If they can get rid of the entourage Bone can be together but if Bone gonna be together its gotta be just Bone. Layzie, Krayzie, Wish, Flesh, Bizzy, its got to be that way; just the members and everybody else has to step to the side. Damn! We just got away from Ruthless.
RIOTSOUND.COM: How do you feel about so many artists these days gaining recognition as a result of marketing as opposed to talent?
BIZZY BONE: It’s always been marketing, don’t even trip. Some artists are able to squeeze talent through but its always been marketing. I love what 50 is doing, I love what he’s doing. I love what Game is doing. I love what Eminem is doing. I love what the East Coast is doing. I love what they doing down there in the Dirty Dirty. I love that shit up in the Midwest and seeing these people out here rocking the house, enjoying their lives and making money. I am so happy to see young people making money. We’re all brothers and sisters. I don’t care what shell you walk in, your spirit is what’s going to shine through.
For all news and info on Bizzy Bone stay tuned to www.845Ent.com
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