05/08/07 - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-Strength & Loyalty(XXL REVIEW)

YounG AleX · 05-08-2007, 04:07 PM

Before Paul Wall ever chiseled his first grill, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were the people’s champs. Unveiled in 1994 by rap legend Eazy-E, Cleveland’s five-man rapping whirlwind (Krayzie, Layzie, Wish, Bizzy and Flesh-N-Bone) gradually amassed a large following, starting with their groundbreaking EP Creepin On Ah Come Up. Rather than fade away after Eazy’s death in ’95, BTNH lived on through their dedicated fan base—one that pushed their official debut, E. 1999 Eternal, to over five million units sold.

In the wake of the monstrous disc came somewhat of a downward spiral. Offsetting a subsequent pair of platinum LPs, Flesh got incarcerated, while Bizzy came and left, like a deadbeat dad, due to personal issues. By the release of their fourth full-length disc, Thug World Order, in 2002, Bone saw their appeal diminish to less than 500,000 fans paying attention. The turnout was even less notable for last year’s Koch-distributed LP Thug Stories, which barely cracked the 90,000 mark. Faced with the threat of extinction, the remaining members—Krayzie, Layzie and Wish—teamed up with hit maker extraordinaire Swizz Beatz to try to breathe life back into their flagging careers.

As the group’s most eclectic and accessible effort to date, Strength & Loyalty sets things in motion properly. “We’re back with a vengeance, this rap game is stricken without us/Let’s be honest, this industry is overcrowded with garbage,” declares Krayzie on the frantic “Bumps in the Trunk,” a dizzying array of standard Swizz sirens and machine-gun percussion. Throughout, Bone seem determined to prove their ability to adapt to modern times. Over will.i.am’s gothic yet punishing instrumental on “Streets,” the Thugs make sure The Game’s sinister verse remains second priority. Layzie, in particular, spits venom: “Catch a nigga in these streets, make ’em take clothes off/Leave him dead, butt naked, you know you’re fuckin’ with a boss.” Their mission to stay current continues on “Never Forget Me,” powered by both a horn-heavy beat and a high-pitched hook from chorus king Akon.

Decades-long Bone heads need not worry about total change, though. On the Neo Da Matrix–tracked gem “C-Town,” fellow spitfire Twista tag teams with the crew atop an airy bed of whistles and sonic hypnosis. The strongest moment of seamless old meets new comes on the head-spinning “Flowmotion,” a remake of a cut from their 1993 indie project Faces of Death. Backed by newcomers the Individuals’ intense strings, all three members’ flows reach new levels of velocity, especially Krayzie’s: “I’m coming at you with a sound like thunder, strike like lightning/Hit them and they wonder where these thuggish ruggish niggas came from.”

Don’t call it a complete comeback, however. While Krayzie and Layzie show and prove, Wish’s inferior skills frequently emerge as well. Take his infantile wordplay on the Jermaine Dupri–produced radio shot “Little Love” (“Not trying to say that you’re about that paper/But me and you, yes, we’re about that paper”), which makes guest Bow Wow sound superlyrical. Further downgrading the album are scattered, drowsy soundtrack lapses (DJ Toomp’s bland bass guitars on “Sounds the Same,” for example) and stunted creativity (the “been there, shot that” murder taunts of “9mm”).
Through attempts at experimentation, such as the Fleetwood Mac–sampling rock/rap hybrid “Listen to the Wind Blow,” Bone clearly display a hunger for relevance. And as evidenced by the solemn “Crossroads”-comparable single “I Tried,” their knack for genreless harmonies is still intact. Yet, with the final product sounding slightly uneven, some fine-tuning would have done these Bones good.

source-xxlmag.com

Famoz · 05-09-2007, 04:20 AM

wow XXL sux...this is a great ablume especially gun blast

scooby_boen · 05-09-2007, 07:31 PM

xxl 10 even without bizzy but he will b back

supermario · 05-10-2007, 03:30 AM

propsss on thissss

Renegade25 · 05-10-2007, 03:54 AM

Fuck this review

not tryna say that you about that paper, but me and you, yes we like that paper..Thats what Wish says....WTF///

Me > You · 05-10-2007, 07:06 AM

fuk bone thugz sucky ass pop stars

Jarome · 05-10-2007, 01:31 PM

^^ no' I'd more likely say fuck "you" for posting irrelavant dickridiin' shit.

Propz on the review, I don't agree completly with it but it's kinda accurate. This album is totally sick, everyone's gotta cop it.

BARS NOVEMBER 6TH · 05-10-2007, 02:47 PM

propzzzzzzzz

Cam-Z · 05-10-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me > You

fuk bone thugz sucky ass pop stars

haha this dude be a goon

fuck you and you mum beatch

Rizource · 07-02-2007, 11:36 AM

Jus got the album. C-Town is the best track on there for me at the moment!

Drizzy · 07-02-2007, 12:17 PM

good stuff....

iTzMe · 07-11-2007, 10:51 AM

i really liked this album

Phantastik · 07-11-2007, 11:36 AM

lmao xxl continues to KILL any credibility they have left with their PATHETIC reviews, they didnt even mention any of the classic tracks on the cd. this is a classic cd, its bangin top to bottom. BTW "Flowmotion" is one of the most insane Tracks ive ever heard...

Hip Hop Police · 07-11-2007, 09:46 PM

this album is fiyaaa....... bad review

pDASH · 07-11-2007, 10:25 PM

i love this album
i went out and bought it...

Hip Hop Police · 07-11-2007, 11:56 PM

word, album was hot.....^^

ONESUN · 07-19-2007, 01:50 AM

One Of The Best Albums Of The Year!!this And Young Bucks Shit Are The Best Albums So Far This Year.

Think Muzik · 08-08-2007, 02:43 AM

i can agree with this review somewhat. i only bump the never forget me and the i tried joints heavy rotation..the rest were meh to me.

THE GHOST · 11-30-2007, 11:35 AM

good album... nice feel to it

SouthSideX187 · 11-30-2007, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harsh_Serenity

Jus got the album. C-Town is the best track on there for me at the moment!

Co Sign. C-Town is my ringtone.

05-08-2007, 04:07 PM	#1
YounG AleX AleX iS Like... Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Where haven't we been yet? Posts: 3,193 Repped: 890 Repped 5,210 Times in 714 Posts Neg Reps: 66 Neg Repped at 13 Times in 8 Posts	05/08/07 - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-Strength & Loyalty(XXL REVIEW) 05/08/07 - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-Strength & Loyalty(XXL REVIEW) Before Paul Wall ever chiseled his first grill, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were the people’s champs. Unveiled in 1994 by rap legend Eazy-E, Cleveland’s five-man rapping whirlwind (Krayzie, Layzie, Wish, Bizzy and Flesh-N-Bone) gradually amassed a large following, starting with their groundbreaking EP Creepin On Ah Come Up. Rather than fade away after Eazy’s death in ’95, BTNH lived on through their dedicated fan base—one that pushed their official debut, E. 1999 Eternal, to over five million units sold. In the wake of the monstrous disc came somewhat of a downward spiral. Offsetting a subsequent pair of platinum LPs, Flesh got incarcerated, while Bizzy came and left, like a deadbeat dad, due to personal issues. By the release of their fourth full-length disc, Thug World Order, in 2002, Bone saw their appeal diminish to less than 500,000 fans paying attention. The turnout was even less notable for last year’s Koch-distributed LP Thug Stories, which barely cracked the 90,000 mark. Faced with the threat of extinction, the remaining members—Krayzie, Layzie and Wish—teamed up with hit maker extraordinaire Swizz Beatz to try to breathe life back into their flagging careers. As the group’s most eclectic and accessible effort to date, Strength & Loyalty sets things in motion properly. “We’re back with a vengeance, this rap game is stricken without us/Let’s be honest, this industry is overcrowded with garbage,” declares Krayzie on the frantic “Bumps in the Trunk,” a dizzying array of standard Swizz sirens and machine-gun percussion. Throughout, Bone seem determined to prove their ability to adapt to modern times. Over will.i.am’s gothic yet punishing instrumental on “Streets,” the Thugs make sure The Game’s sinister verse remains second priority. Layzie, in particular, spits venom: “Catch a nigga in these streets, make ’em take clothes off/Leave him dead, butt naked, you know you’re fuckin’ with a boss.” Their mission to stay current continues on “Never Forget Me,” powered by both a horn-heavy beat and a high-pitched hook from chorus king Akon. Decades-long Bone heads need not worry about total change, though. On the Neo Da Matrix–tracked gem “C-Town,” fellow spitfire Twista tag teams with the crew atop an airy bed of whistles and sonic hypnosis. The strongest moment of seamless old meets new comes on the head-spinning “Flowmotion,” a remake of a cut from their 1993 indie project Faces of Death. Backed by newcomers the Individuals’ intense strings, all three members’ flows reach new levels of velocity, especially Krayzie’s: “I’m coming at you with a sound like thunder, strike like lightning/Hit them and they wonder where these thuggish ruggish niggas came from.” Don’t call it a complete comeback, however. While Krayzie and Layzie show and prove, Wish’s inferior skills frequently emerge as well. Take his infantile wordplay on the Jermaine Dupri–produced radio shot “Little Love” (“Not trying to say that you’re about that paper/But me and you, yes, we’re about that paper”), which makes guest Bow Wow sound superlyrical. Further downgrading the album are scattered, drowsy soundtrack lapses (DJ Toomp’s bland bass guitars on “Sounds the Same,” for example) and stunted creativity (the “been there, shot that” murder taunts of “9mm”). Through attempts at experimentation, such as the Fleetwood Mac–sampling rock/rap hybrid “Listen to the Wind Blow,” Bone clearly display a hunger for relevance. And as evidenced by the solemn “Crossroads”-comparable single “I Tried,” their knack for genreless harmonies is still intact. Yet, with the final product sounding slightly uneven, some fine-tuning would have done these Bones good. source-xxlmag.com __________________ I learned that everybody is not your friend. You have to watch who you associate with and surround yourself with positive things and people who want to do something positive.- Gucci!

05-10-2007, 07:06 AM	#6
Me > You Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,629 Repped: 202 Repped 261 Times in 54 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	fuk bone thugz sucky ass pop stars __________________ Heat27 thinks wrestling's real smh

05-10-2007, 01:31 PM	#7
Jarome The French Connection Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cowansville, Québec, Canada Posts: 2,692 Repped: 1,084 Repped 12 Times in 6 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	^^ no' I'd more likely say fuck "you" for posting irrelavant dickridiin' shit. Propz on the review, I don't agree completly with it but it's kinda accurate. This album is totally sick, everyone's gotta cop it. __________________ My heart's torn from the pain of bein' forced to watch the game. I'd rather die gettin' my hustle than live my life on the lane.

07-11-2007, 10:51 AM	#12
iTzMe Punch Line King Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,987 Repped: 1,061 Repped 2,656 Times in 363 Posts Neg Reps: 24 Neg Repped at 11 Times in 8 Posts	i really liked this album __________________ "Cool As AC Cuz The Heat Secure Me"- Bank$ aka The PLK

07-11-2007, 11:36 AM	#13
Phantastik Beat Specialist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,099 Repped: 529 Repped 96 Times in 20 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	lmao xxl continues to KILL any credibility they have left with their PATHETIC reviews, they didnt even mention any of the classic tracks on the cd. this is a classic cd, its bangin top to bottom. BTW "Flowmotion" is one of the most insane Tracks ive ever heard... __________________ Need HEAT Beats? get at me: Myspace.com/tastik Soundclick.com/PhantastikProductions

05-09-2007, 04:20 AM	#2
Famoz Banned Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,548 Repped: 126 Repped 391 Times in 210 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 2 Times in 2 Posts	wow XXL sux...this is a great ablume especially gun blast

05-09-2007, 07:31 PM	#3
scooby_boen Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 164 Repped: 97 Repped 4 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	xxl 10 even without bizzy but he will b back

05-10-2007, 03:30 AM	#4
supermario Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 23 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propsss on thissss

05-10-2007, 03:54 AM	#5
Renegade25 Banned Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,764 Repped: 4 Repped 595 Times in 107 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Fuck this review not tryna say that you about that paper, but me and you, yes we like that paper..Thats what Wish says....WTF///

05-10-2007, 02:47 PM	#8
BARS NOVEMBER 6TH Banned Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,513 Repped: 206 Repped 759 Times in 107 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propzzzzzzzz

07-02-2007, 11:36 AM	#10
Rizource Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Liberty City Posts: 160 Repped: 33 Repped 21 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 3 Neg Repped at 5 Times in 5 Posts	Jus got the album. C-Town is the best track on there for me at the moment!

07-02-2007, 12:17 PM	#11
Drizzy aKa dRiZz Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: UK Posts: 3,844 Repped: 609 Repped 1,674 Times in 252 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 7 Times in 5 Posts	good stuff....

07-11-2007, 09:46 PM	#14
Hip Hop Police Chamillitary Mayneee!!! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 80 Repped: 0 Repped 1 Time in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	this album is fiyaaa....... bad review __________________

07-11-2007, 10:25 PM	#15
pDASH Answers 2 Questions Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York, NY Posts: 2,285 Repped: 288 Repped 320 Times in 46 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 2 Times in 2 Posts	i love this album i went out and bought it... __________________ BIG EX! www.thisisBIGEX.com

07-11-2007, 11:56 PM	#16
Hip Hop Police Chamillitary Mayneee!!! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 80 Repped: 0 Repped 1 Time in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	word, album was hot.....^^ __________________

07-19-2007, 01:50 AM	#17
ONESUN Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	One Of The Best Albums Of The Year!!this And Young Bucks Shit Are The Best Albums So Far This Year.

08-08-2007, 02:43 AM	#18
Think Muzik Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: CANADA Posts: 909 Repped: 1 Repped 16 Times in 5 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	i can agree with this review somewhat. i only bump the never forget me and the i tried joints heavy rotation..the rest were meh to me.

11-30-2007, 11:35 AM	#19
THE GHOST D-BLOCK 354 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Yonkers, New York Posts: 2,005 Repped: 448 Repped 1,077 Times in 168 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 13 Times in 9 Posts	good album... nice feel to it __________________

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