The original harmony-based Hip Hop pioneers are still Ruthless. Here’s why.
Wish, Bizzy, Layzie and Krayzie Bone are lounging in their label, Epic’s offices in midtown Manhattan. Contrary to rumors, they are still together, continue to call Ruthless Records their home and are set to release their fifth album, ‘Thug World Order’. (Though Flesh-N-Bone is currently incarcerated, he’s still a full-fledged member and appears on the project.) Tossing phones from one Bone to the next for press interviews, the rap innovators that Eazy-E discovered-or gave a break to-in 1993 are amped with pre-album release energy. Bizzy pauses, then launches into his highly entertaining preacher-like style of conversing. “We’re grown men now. We’re sticking to the harmonies, sticking to the script and making it sound good but we’re not saying what everyone thinks is going be said. It’s gonna be some different things, some personal things. We touch on a lot of social issues.” Krayzie, overhearing Bizzy’s remarks, jumps in the mix. “We’re going to bring something fresh. The game is really open right now and everybody’s waiting for what’s going to be the next concept in the industry. It was bling-bling for a minute but that’s kind of played. Now everybody’s sitting back and waiting to see what comes next. That’s when Bone-Thugs comes in and shuts the whole thing down. We already changed the whole game around to mock us-to want to do what we do.”
After over a decade of being in each other’s faces, the fact that the Grammy-winning supergroup remains intact is remarkable. While Bizzy’s reasons are based in religion, Krayzie sees their unity as unavoidable. “A lot of groups have been handpicked by the hands of mortal man,” assures Bizzy. “That’s their problem. This has been preordained before we were born. You underdig? Our chemistry was not artificial insemination.” Krayzie puts it on love. “Everybody knows where they come from-same city, same hood, practically the same household. There’s too much history for us to just up and drop everything.”
Plus they have a lot to do. They’re just too busy to break up. “We’re in the studio like Pac,” Bizzy explains. “Every time we get a chance we’re banging out songs. Sometimes we have four different rooms going in different cities like Atlanta, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Chicago. Then we got movies, documentaries, books, biographies, record companies, endorsements, clothing lines. We’re just maximizing right now. We’re gonna run up in this name one time for their minds real good.” Krayzie’s shopping a solo deal since Loud folded. He’s also running Thug Line Records which plans to drop Wishbone’s solo album soon. The label also boasts Lareece, a female artist and a rap/rock n’ roll group called Knieght Riduz. “We’re trying to do the first country western rap album,” reveals Krayzie.
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Today BTNH has more competition coming out of the Midwest than when they debutted. But they’re not bothered. It’s just the opposite. “It’s lovely,” Bizzy says smiling. “There’s enough money out here for everybody. We love all these young brothers out here. We love anybody making money, especially if you ain’t got nothing and you make something out of some words.” With super producers DJ Unique, LT Hutton and other hot, up-n-coming beatmakers and tracks like Krayzie’s favorite, “Secret Agent Man,” about how dirty and crooked the FBI are, Thug World Order emits plenty of heat to keep them rising to the top.
