This coming Tuesday marks the release of another Layzie Bone solo album since leaving Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in a pile of dismemberment. He has released several solo tracks individually, as well as a mixtape under the name Mo Thugz.


Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony was huge for me throughout the mid-nineties. I remember performing covert operations when my parents when leave us unattended to and would sneak to watch MTV in hopes of catching a glimpse of “Tha Crossroads.” (and “Gangsta’s Paradise”. But that’s a whole other ball of wax.) From the full director's cut of the video, this first few notes when the gospel singer belts “Haaaa-iii-llllll M-a-a-a-a-rrrr-y-y-y-y!” sends chills through my spine to this day.

Known mostly for his flow rather than lyricism, Bone's style and technique can be described as melodic yet dark and aggressive. Don’t let the name “Layzie” fool you. Similar to his days with Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony, his flow is often interwoven at a high speed melodic pace brought to an abrupt slow harmonic pace.

I’ve been fortunate enough to hear a few sample tracks and can say that the lack of other “bones” surrounding him doesn’t exactly hurt Layzie’s cause. It just doesn’t help it much either. I could go either way on this release, but I’d feel guilty giving it anything more than a B-.

Layzie Bone’s “Thugz Nation” comes out via Hi Power Records on Tuesday, March 8, 2008.

Samples are extremely few and far between, so I'll leave the best product of the latest reassembling of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with you. Samples the best Fleetwood Mac song ever, "The Chain." Stevie Nicks and Bizzy Bone...so soothing.)
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Wind Blow