After years of inner-turmoil and label woes, Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have reunited, with all five original group members.
According to founding member Krayzie Bone, the group has made amends with estranged member Bizzy, and when incarcerated group member Flesh is released next month, the group is planning a full return to the rap game.
“Flesh will be home July 10th, he’s supposed to be getting out. Bizzy was at one of last shows in Riverside [California]. We had a good conversation there,” Krayzie Bone revealed. We told people what it was. When everything got right, we was gonna come back together and what we had to do.”
The group’s original line up, which consisted of Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, Bizzy Bone and Flesh-n-Bone, changed with Flesh, born Stanley Howse, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, after he threatened another man with a loaded AK-47.
Police also raided his California residence in July of 1997 and found numerous explosives, including dynamite sticks.
Flesh, who is Layzie Bone’s brother, was also wanted for of seven assault charges that dated back to 1993.
The arrest derailed Flesh’s career, although he can be heard on classic Bone albums like Creepin On Ah Come Up, E 1999 Eternal and The Art of War.
Group member Bizzy Bone was kicked out of the group in 2002, due to his excessive drug and alcohol use and personal issues.
Bizzy Bone, born Bryon Anthony McCane, recently released his independent album A Song For You in April.
The title track from the album, which features DMX, hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart.
According to Krayzie Bone, the only thing that may prevent the Grammy Award winning group’s signature singing/rapping from return to radio airwaves is label politics.
“We all just been hibernating, trying to come up with the concept for the album,” Krayzie Bone continued. “It’s definitely going down. I ain’t gonna say its 100 percent just because of the label situation and the technical stuff, like if the label wants to pay what we deserver. As far as bone as group and us, we together. It aint just a rumor… We are trying to put it all back together for real.”
The group is preparing to enter the recording studio with Swizz Beatz, who is also confirmed to produce for the group’s untitled reunion project.
“We ain’t started yet, because we are trying to get paperwork together. We done talked to Swizz, Swizz is on deck and we are ready to roll and make it do what it do baby.”