Exclusive: Bone Thugs Speak to UrbanBridgez.com

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony‘s new album, Uni5: The World’s Enemy, is its first release in more than 15 years with all five members in tow. Bone became one of raps most important groups, selling nearly 30 million albums and popularizing an often imitated but never duplicated rapid-fire rhyme style accented by their distinctive harmonizing. The unity of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony shines throughout Uni5: The World’s Enemy. The piano-accented “Facts Don’t Lie” features the group coming together to document its history and cement its status as the rap game’s original thugs, while the melodic “Pay What They Owe” details how Bone changed the music world. Long-time Bone fans know that one of the group’s strengths is its ability to make credible inspirational music. The moody “My Life” and the bluesy “Determination” encourages fans to look for the positive in life and to not give up in the face of adversity.

In this exclusive interview with UrbanBridgez.com, as apart of our anniversary interview series! Krayzie Bone talks to Aries about their brand new album “Uni5: The World’s Enemy,” the lack of credit the group receives, working with legendary Hip-Hop artists and much more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: You guys do realize this is the Bone Thugs album the fans have been waiting for since forever right, with all 5 of you guys?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Oh yeah, most definitely man. We know it’s been known and anticipated, we’ve been anticipating it ourselves. That’s why we got back together to finally make it happen.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your thoughts on the drama concerning “See Me Shine” with some fans being very upset the leaked version with Jay Rush isn’t the final version?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Yeah, it was real crazy how that happened, but man we’re living in that new age where things leak and those things happen. We’re just glad it wasn’t the final mix, so when everybody does hear the final mix and how it’s really mixed down it will be an even better song.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about when you guys first went in to the studio to record the new album and what kind of emotions you were feeling finally being back together?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Man it was crazy, it was alot going on. Then when Flesh-N-Bone came home from prison. We went and picked him up and went straight to the studio. We recorded a song that day. The vibe was there, but as we went on we still had to get to know each other again. You know, like bond hang out and kick it, reminisce and stuff just to get the vibe back going strong!

UrbanBridgez.com: What can Bone Thug fans expect from this album when they listen to it?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): They can expect really what they’ve been expecting you know. Like the fast flow, the harmonies, the new growth and the lyrical vocab. It’s really like, some really good put together songs. The concept for the album overall is just like amazing.

UrbanBridgez.com: Who are some of the people you guys worked with on the new album UNI-5…The World’s Enemy?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Right now as far as producers, we went back and got DJ Unique, LT Hutton and we got some upcoming producers on there as well. We don’t really have anymore big producers. As far as guest appearances, as of right now we don’t really have anybody on it. But we are looking to get a couple of people on a couple of songs we got. We think that will be good, but it’s not official as of yet.

UrbanBridgez.com: Do you guys feel you get the credit you deserve within the Hip-Hop community, I don’t!
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Not really man and that’s something we talk about all the time. That’s why we chose to name this album “The Worlds Enemy,” because we feel like we don’t. We feel like we are the outcast within the music industry. We’re looked at as outcast, but it’s all good. We know what we’ve brought to the table and we changed the whole thing, that’s undeniable! And no matter how much they try to ignore the fact, it’s going to be known because we’re still here. And we’re still a force to reckon with!

UrbanBridgez.com: Let’s go back for a minute and talk about some of your many major accomplishments, like your Grammy for Crossroads. When you guys were in the studio recording that song, did any of you have any idea the kind of impact that song might have on people, the way it did?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Oh no, man we just really made the song because we had family members and friends close to us, all of a sudden started dying or being killed. It was just really crazy, then Eazy E died. So we were just in the studio basically and just making a song dedicated to them. We wasn’t in there thinking like, yeah this is going to be a hit. We just went in and knocked the song out and went on to the next song. We didn’t know or think it was going to be that big, it was real heartfelt you know. Again because we had lost alot of people, but we wasn’t in there like plotting to make it another hit for us.

UrbanBridgez.com: You guys have had the pleasure to work with some of the greatest in Hip-Hop, who are no longer here. And the only artist to ever work with Eazy, Tupac, Pun & BIG while they were here. Tell us about working with them?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): It was just really cool to get the chance to work with them all, like in the studio. They were all real cool people, they were artists. It was like a real blessing for us to get that opportunity, we’re real thankful. We are the only group that can even really say that, you know. Out of alot of artists, solo artists can’t even say that.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s been the best and worst part about being in this music business?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): The best would be, just coming up and reaching your goal. Reaping the rewards from it, that’s the best part. Just being able to do what you love to do and get paid from it. You know from what you really love doing and there aren’t that many people who get to do what they actually want to do in life and make a living out of it. So that’s a really good thing! The bad thing, I would say it’s just like a job. There’s a bad thing about everybody’s job, niggas don’t like to work sometime. You know, we be tired with all the traveling and being away from our family. That can take a toll on you. And having your business out there, because you’re a celebrity. They make everything so major for other peoples lives, like the media. Like they could see me going to the smoke shop and them niggas make a big deal out of that shit you know. But other than that type of stuff, everything is cool man.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s next for you guys besides the release?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): We’re working on the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony movie. The real story on how we came up. How we made it out of Cleveland and hooked up with Eazy, the whole story. We’re working on that right now, we’re also working on books, solo and a biography book. And after we get finished touring for this album, promoting and then the world tour, we got other stuff we’re going to get into. Flesh-N-Bone is going to be putting out a solo album, myself and Wish Bone will also be putting solo albums out. Most likely everybody in the group will, you know Bizzy always keeps one in the cut. So yeah, we’re going to be still making music as well as getting into other things. Open up other lanes to get in, definitely making a move!

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
Krayzie Bone (Bone Thugs): Thanks for supporting Bone, 15 years and definitely look out for this album it will be out December 22nd. I’m sure everybody is going to be satisfied with this album. That we’re working so hard on, to please the fans. So watch out for it, it’s going to be the biggest thing to hit. The best music you’ve heard in awhile, trust me!

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