Bone Thugs still in harmony

The two-decades-old hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is hugely responsible for popularizing melodic, tongue-twisting rap. The five-member crew’s pitch-perfect singing, ultra-fast, ultra-precise word play and authentic urban lyricism will indeed have Bone Thugs forever remembered as one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time.

This Feb. 7, Bone Thugs will perform at The Venue with A$AP Ferg, famous for his song “Shabba” featuring A$AP Rocky. Fargo rappers Charlie Mizza, Triz and Big Mike will also take the stage.

High Plains Reader feels very honored to have spoken with the very charismatic and friendly Bizzy Bone, Bone Thugs’ youngest member. And for fans of their Grammy award-winning song “Tha Crossroads,” Bizzy is the exotic voice behind the wickedly infectious line “And I’m gonna miss everybody.”

HPR: Hello, how are you?

Bizzy Bone: I’m doing good. How you doing?

HPR: I’m doing really well. It’s been a little bit warmer here in Fargo the past couple days so …

BB: Well, I’m out here in Hawaii just playing and having fun … getting ready for the sold out show, so many great plans for the future.

So yeah definitely, I can’t wait to get out there to see you guys, getting bundled up and put on my Timberlands. We are going to rock and roll. We are going to rock and roll.

HPR: So have you been guys been doing a big U.S. tour? You’re all the way out in Hawaii.

BB: Oh yeah, definitely. That’s something that Drizzy Drake says to Krayzie, “Hey, y’all don’t ever stop working. All y’all do is work.” You know, cause we stay out and we keep moving and now that we’re back in full fledge movement and Flesh-N-Bone is finally out of jail after 10 years, we’re like one big happy family again … we are independent. We have a lot more knowledge in the industry.

HPR: Bone Thug’s latest album, “The Art of War: World War III,” released a few months ago. What can fans expect?

BB: We wanted to give the fans something that they could really jam to and enjoy. So when we put out the (20th Year Anniversary) Cypher for World Star, we hit the 9 million mark. And we said, “Well, let’s go ahead lets drop this “Art of War III” on these guys. They need to hear it. They need some good Bone music just to ride to so they know, “Hey, those guys are still doing what they’ve always done.” And that’s really what it’s about.

The songs on there are phenomenal, great guest appearances. Big B, came back from “Change The World” to star on three of the songs. So we brought him out of retirement. And it was just a wonderful project.

HPR: And you brought back DJ U-Neek, a producer who has been a pivotal behind-the-scenes member of Bone Thugs.

BB: Well we didn’t necessarily bring him back because he was always there, but within the industry without Bone. And he brought something to the table that people needed, that original Bone fun family groove vibe. He shined on this record. Him and Kenny McCloud shined on this record.

HPR: Bone Thugs’ exclusive style has lived on and influenced many rappers. I think of Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Nelly and others. How did a rap group from Cleveland manage to produce such a timeless style?

BB: It’s the stuff that’s put into it. When you have to say I like to drink alcohol, but I have to go two weeks without drinking cause my voice needs to be right for this particular song in the studio, when you are doing things like that, it goes over to the people. It’s like, “How can he do all of what he is doing and still do those kind of things.”

So eventually they think he must be working at putting together something good for us. It’s the work ethic that makes it timeless because they know that all of the benefits that we have in 2014 and 2015, as far as studio, music, etc., were not available back in those days.

So it was a voice, an idea, a crew, a vibe, a love and artistry. And that’s what never goes anywhere … our grassroots are in work ethic. We come from that genre where you have to work to sound good.

HPR: What are some of the perks and challenges of being in a hip-hop group compared to being a solo artist like Jay-Z or Lil’ Wayne?

BB: I’ll tell you. It’s funny you say this. I was just talking to Steven Alder, drummer from Guns N’ Roses. So we were sitting and talking and I mentioned to him, ‘People don’t really understand how much you have to give up to be in a band.’ You have to give up your home life, any chance of normality and you have to make sure that you stay prevalent, relevant and healthy and do what you do.

So it’s just that way for all bands in general and hip-hop and general. Guys like the Sugar Hill Gang and things of that nature – they’re still working. That to me is the oomph behind being in a group and kind of answers your question.

HPR: Bone Thugs are the only group to have worked with four of the most legendary deceased rappers: Eazy-E, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G. and Big Pun. How do you guys take in those experiences of working with artists of that caliber?

BB: It seems as though we are in charge of Eazy-E being remembered for what he did for hip-hop. Because of the way that he died (complications from AIDS), people don’t want to deal with it. And it happened so mysteriously, one day he just up and died from something that takes a long ass time to kill you. But that’s kind of a different situation, plus he’s our mentor, brought us into the game.

But I just look at it like not just the perfect timing or the right place at the right time. It’s really something that happens to particular people in the world. The last bus that we (could have) missed in our formal artistic aspirational vibe was we were the guys in Cleveland with the talent that never made it and watched everyone else make it. It just so happen that we passed that stigma. We passed that blockade of being that. And all of the riches came along with it: Aaliyah, Left Eye … Biggie Smalls greeting and meeting us and taking our style to the east coast, TuPac giving us all of the love of having the name “Thug” within our family environment. Big Pun listening to my solo record before it comes out and doing a record with him.

It’s all of the riches that come with passing that one level -- those guys that shouldn’t have made it with all the talent. We got y’all. We got they ass in ‘90, we got they ass in ‘91, ‘92, ‘93 and so forth. That’s how I look at it.

HPR: Have y’all ever been to Fargo before?

BB: I believe we’ve been there a few times … we are very familiar with the N.D. Trust me. The love is always there. The botanicals are always floating around. The people are so good … We are so excited to be wanted. And when you are in the industry as much as we are in the industry, and when you put a lot of the partying to the side, you really see the people that love your music, and it’s just an experience now that’s so much better than the rock ‘n’ roll period that we were in because it was just alcohol and booze. We never got to experience and enjoy the hugs and the people and the adulation and the crowd when they are having a good time.

HPR: Thank you, Bizzy Bone, for the interview.

BB: Thank you, we totally appreciate everything. On behalf of Layzie, Krayzie, Wish, Flesh and Bizzy, thank you guys very much.

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony w/A$AP FERG, Charlie Mizza, Triz & Big Mike

WHERE: The Venue, 2525 9th Ave SW, Fargo

WHEN: Fri, Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m.

HOW MUCH: $27 advance, $30 day of show

INFO: All ages; jadepresents.com