Formed in 1991, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony will always be one of the most recognized names in the hip-hop scene. Over the span of their career, the quintet have worked with some of the greatest hip-hop artists and producers of all time, such as Eazy-E, Big Pun, Notorious BIG, 2Pac, and Twista. Getting their first big break in 1993, Eazy-E signed Bone Thugs to Ruthless Records. The following year the group released their first EP under the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony name, Creepin on ah Come Up. Since then, Bone has continued to push their unique brand of melodic hip-hop by releasing nine more albums, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music business, and continuously touring across the globe. Throughout the years, the group has had members step away for short stints, but they always seem to return. Whether they step away for personal business or to pursue their respective solo acts, the core of Bone Thugs has been, and will always be, comprised of Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, Krayzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, and Bizzy Bone. Currently wrapping up a short tour through Texas and Oklahoma, Bone Thugs stopped at House of Blues in Dallas on Thursday night and I was there to see what they had to offer this time around.
The show kicked off at 9pm with an opener who most, including myself, didn’t know was on the bill. I had never heard of Carlton Zeus until Thursday night and I’ve got to say, I’m glad I arrived early to catch the set. From the reactions of the crowd, I was one of very few who thought Carlton brought some fire to the stage. Chants of “Bone” resonated from the sea of fans, most of which were wearing throwback Thuggish Ruggish t-shirts, during Carlton’s set. Despite the lack of crowd support, Carlton pushed through the set with fast rhymes backed by a DJ who was playing funky techno and dub-step beats.
After a short change over, it was time for Bone Thugs; sort of. Bone Thugs brought out a plethora of artists to perform one to two songs each as a warm up for their set. Most were not introduced, but they were all closely related to the Bone and Mo-Thug families. DJ Pozition then cleared the stage for another short break before the sounds of “Mo Murder” came through the PA as Krayzie, Lazie, Wish, and Flesh-n-Bone took the stage. Unfortunately, Bizzie Bone wasn’t on this string of dates as he is currently out on his solo Carbon Monoxide Tour. The crowd erupted as Bone Thugs played through the title track “East 1999” from E. 1999 – Eternal. The song was dedicated to the life of Eazy-E. In true Bone fashion, the low and high vocal patterns melded seamlessly together creating a chilling atmosphere throughout the set, despite Bizzie’s absence. “1st of tha Month,” “Resurrection (paper, paper),” and a mashup of “California Love” and “Thug Luv,” which was dedicated to the life of 2Pac, were highlights of the set. Lazie Bone performed some solo material off of his upcoming album, Lost and Found, that is set to be released on August 16th. The high energy set had the crowd singing along and dancing the night away. To the surprise of no one, the set closed out with their most popular track, “Crossroads.” Dallas fans were graced with another exceptional Bone Thugs-n-Harmony performance and I hope it’s not the last.
– Corey Smith
