Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Awarded at the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Quotes
"See devils in disguise; I hope you croak and choke from my slug off in your throat; it's time they hang from ropes, riding boats. . . . ain't no more of them cotton fields; see now, you stay six feet underneath. . . . you well off on your way to Hell where you won't be found. . . . can't escape my evil way";
"Cop Stories"; The Graveyard Shift, Southwest Riders, 1997, Sick Wid It Records, Zomba Recording Corporation.
"This will all be over in '99, so, niggas, give devils the crime; gonna be more devils dying";
"No Surrender"; Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Creepin on ah Come Up, 1994, Ruthless Records, Epic Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony.
Article
On February 26, 1997, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was awarded "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" for their single "Tha Crossroads," whose lyrics are close to the ones for the "Crossroad" track on their 1995 album. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony includes Layzie Bone (aka #1 Assassin), Wish Bone (aka Stratejacket), Krayzie Bone (aka Leatherface the Sawed-Off Gangsta), Bizzy Bone (aka Rest in Peace or RIP), Flesh-n-Bone, and DJ U-Neek, and their rap group is part of a large affiliation of rap groups called Mo Thugs. The booklets inserted into their 1998 CD's show pictures of the members of Mo Thugs with their names below. Besides Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, and Flesh-N-Bone, members of Mo Thugs are Scant, Ice, II True, Ken Dawg, Sin of Graveyard Shift, Thug Queen, Poetic Hustla'z, Powder, who is white but has his face blacked out on the photo, Felecia, MT5, Souljah Boy, and Potion. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rappers pack violent phrases into the lyrics more densely than do most "gangsta" rappers. The links below give articles that detail the lyrics of recent albums and of miscellaneous topics of earlier albums.
A universal theme of violently racist "gangsta" rap is that some or all of the ultimate responsibility is lifted off of the backs of blacks. Examples occurring in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's lyrics are as follows: after asking if he were to blame for his parents breaking up, a rapper asks listeners to do the following: "come creep on the streets with me; this where I learned how to sell drugs; it's where I learned how to pump slugs; it's necessary, necessary for me to get down for mine. . . . kicking down doors; kill a nigga. . . . and I know that shit was wrong, but don't blame me; blame the thugster in me, 'cause that's where that shit comes from; bloody redrum; nigga, we nothing but survivors"; ("Family Tree" of album 6, listed at the end of the article;) "I'm a victim just because I'm rapping; stacking my cheese [money] and I'm always packing [a gun]; niggas with nothing to lose be capping [shooting firearms], and I really don't blame you motherfuckers. . . . since what I did I did in the past"; ("Hatin Nation" of album 6;) "now, who you blame it on; the ghetto [the rapper asks]; why this old crooked system set up to mess us up; but we come up and never fade the soldiers' ghetto"; ("Otherside" of album 8;) "we wouldn't had to resort to violence, but, man, a nigga was raised that way"; ("Till We Dead and Gone" of album 1.)
The rappers state purposes behind their music. One purpose stated is to uplift blacks, and an example is as follows: "like my fucked-up gang without the green [money]. . . . soon as come up, I'm pulling my people up out of the bullshit; that's why we choose this thugster music. . . . forever we keeping it real"; ("Ain't Nothin Changed" from album 6.)
Another purpose is to spread rap and crime across the nation, and they call on blacks to do so: "the territory never divide; go nationwide with the buck-buck; so where you at; where you at; I'm strapped [carrying a handgun] and ready to snap and yank a nigga's neck back"; ("Shotz to tha Double Glock" of album 3;) "hear my nationwide: fuck you, fuck you; I got people that you trust who needs some greens, and really don't love you; never familiar, send them all in the city out to kill you"; ("Ain't Nothin Changed" from album 6.)
Some are out to stop their messages, the rappers say, and examples of them saying so are as follows: "why declare war on these fakers and haters; eliminate us, traitors. . . . whom die they lie in the face of our society; try at every attempt to quiet me; I got a nation that's down to ride with me"; ("Mind of a Souljah" from album 6;) "the government and these player haters out to kill Wish[bone]; wanna hurt this"; ("If I Could Teach the World" of album 6;) in a song that sends out threats generically to rappers who are perceived to have copied Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's style, the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rappers defend their style as an original one saying that they are "triple platinum, nigga . . . and still thugging with the roughest motherfuckers in my city. . . . ain't you scared of a nigga that's trying to jack your paper [and] snatch you. . . . I got an AK-47. . . . I done made enough money to buy my ghetto a lot of weapons, y'all; and I made it, taking out my weed. . . . got a nation of my niggas out to back me; got another nation, killers out to try to jack me"; ("All Original" of album 6.)
The rappers indicate that blacks are oppressed by the system, and their 1998 album opens with the following: "we believe that it is better to love than to hate; at the same time, we warn this nation that our people are growing tired, and they are growing restless. . . . we wanna bring the truth to light and let it shine; you could ride if you want to, or you could die if you want to; but I don't want to; fuck it, come on and ride; it ain't nothing but a thing if you wanna hang with the Mo Thug family, ripping shit up, tearing down walls, getting suited up for the cause; you can roll with us, or we can roll without you; it's all up to you; so what you gonna do. . . . because if you were born in America, you were born in the mess"; ("Mo Thug Intro" of album 8.)
While most black "gangsta" rappers who put out violent racism show association with or give allegiance to Nation of Islam, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's lyrics are absent Nation of Islam symbolism, such as references to Farrakhan, to Allah, to the Koran, or to X's. Instead, the rap group embraces Christian symbols such as God or the Lord but not Allah, such as churches but not Mosques, such as preachers but not Muslims, and such as the Bible but not the Koran. However, as there are so many black rappers in the industry who promote Nation of Islam, when Bone Thugs-N-Harmony contributed tracks on albums having a variety of artists, their tracks were alongside tracks that were full of Nation of Islam symbolism's.
The rappers say that they have been blessed by God and that they pray and read their Bibles. Sometimes they say that they are praying for an end to gang violence, and at other times, they call on God for protection or assistance in carrying out criminal activity. The rappers' "righteous" rallying calls, being their calls for supporters to carry out violence against citizens of the United States, are a self-centeredness which digs out a chasm so deep that ghetto despair cannot fill it, for it could be fulfilled only by them receding further inward with their self-centeredness. They never come to grips with a contradiction that exists between their two descriptions of murderous actions by black gangbangers. On the one hand, they describe the actions as demonic-controlled and in need of ending, and on the other, they describe the same behavior as divine-controlled and in need of continuing and spreading.
Usually when violence is directed at law enforcement officers, their race is not specified; however, when their race is specified, it is white officers who are singled out. Examples are as follows: "Layzie Bone is coming again. . . . me going in me trunk for me pump for that redneck copper; always on me dick, so me forced to grab the pump and let the fucker go click; so me peeling off his cap, 'cause I'm not down for going to prison. . . . Krayzie Bone is stepping in with the ultimate jacking; with the AK-47 Wish [Bone] is buck, buck, buck, buck, blasting; 'cause Layzie Bone is the #1 Assassin"; ("#1 Assassin" of album 1;) in black culture, it is well-known that the word "devils" commonly means "whites," and the rappers use it in the following string of quotes which, in addition to targeting officers, also shows them blaming current whites with historical slavery: "we making niggas bleed; called a pallbearer to relieve me of the duty of fatal cop killing. . . . busters with blue suits better run, duck, hide, because the slaughter, death, kill; Cleveland running, fucking up; catching these infiltrators; boots replaced your face with steel-toe; grab the gauges and ammo; let's roll. . . . I see devils in disguise; I hope you croak and choke from my slug off in your throat; it's time they hang from ropes, riding boats. . . . ain't no more of them cotton fields; see now, you stay six feet underneath. . . . you well off on your way to Hell where you won't be found. . . . can't escape my evil way"; ("Cop Stories" of album 7;) "I say the war shouldn't stop until these player hating niggas' body rot. . . . until these motherfucking cops' body rot. . . . I'm having to talk to Eazy [E] through the Ouija. . . . time to ring the alarm; break the niggas out of prison, killing all the guards; whew; power to the people; giving the people the power to put it down in your city, and fuck them hillbillies; nigga, I can't stand no motherfucking po-po; when will we start killing these bitches and taking no more; yeah; Mo Thug [is] the only click that I claim. . . . in 1999 when you meet up in the end, bet it be no peace for police; the Biz[zie Bone] here to rip up the streets. . . . I better be a soldier; organize up; but they're loving just us army; see, full of Harmony; and, niggas, in thugs we trust. . . . I'm digging a ditch for all you po-po who felt you could come and raid me; ain't no way to be safe; nigga, it's the army brigade; so, listen up and hear what is spoken as I start this locomotion; retaliate because we chosen; open showing the Lord devotion; yeah. . . . Bone want your Presidents; want to run it all; run all of it; all. . . . these police and haters is wrong; we bucking them down; trust in me-N-Harmony; I try peace; eternally bless my soul, Lord, and everybody that rides with me"; ("Body Rott.")
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony released their own rendition of NWA's "Fuck tha Police" which follows the original wording closely. Although NWA's infamous track contains many violent threats, some of the tracks written by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony contain even more. For example, their track called "No Pretender" (from album 4) issues forth specific orders for the killing of officers during traffic stops. One phrase on the track indicates that the rappers want the children of police officers to be murdered also. As another example, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony participated with other rappers on the album that encouraged blacks to turn out for the 1995 Million Man March, namely One Million Strong. The album relays black nationalist doctrines of Nation of Islam and of Israeli Church of Universal Practical Knowledge, and it calls on blacks to murder whites and peace officers. On the track they contributed, "No Surrender," Bone Thugs-N-Harmony told the world about their desire to kill officers: "I'm killing all your bitches, turning them blue suits red. . . . you don't want to fuck with Bone, nigga; and it really ain't shit to pull the trigger around a copper, because if I go down, some of y'all going down; because I'm going down popping." Murdering officers in the street and at precincts does not satisfy the gruesome goals, for the rappers call for the murdering of officers at funerals. All whites are fair game: "this will be over in '99, so, niggas, give devils the crime; gonna be more devils dying." ("No Surrender" of album 2.)
Some of the above quotes direct violence at more than police officers, whether at them generally or at them when they are white specifically. When violence is directed at the officers but also at their families, and when revenge for historical slavery is listed as a "justification," it is proper to interpret a broader target, the target being whites broadly and blacks who side with whites. On a track about killing rivals, committing crimes, murdering police officers, and smoking marijuana, they say that they will "swerve to the 'burbs; set up a hold up; so many bodies me 'blowed' up. . . . meanwhile, swerve to the 'burb." ("Die Die Die" of album 3.) Although the rappers do not often identify whites directly, the target is properly interpreted to be whites, or at least predominantly whites, when the target is identified as those who are of the same race of peoples who were behind slavery in America. For example, the rappers attempt to rally up listeners by declaring the following: "let's get pumped for the peop's of Egypt and 400 years of oppression." (It is common for rappers, and some black scholars, to connect blacks of America with the Ancient Egyptians.) On the same track, the rappers tell "the peop's of Egypt" to prepare for Armageddon, and doing so, they seem to be indicating that they have aligned themselves with a belief in racial Armageddon, with those who caused "400 years of oppression" being the doomed. On the same track, the rappers tell listeners to prepare for a race war when they tell "the peop's of Egypt" to use M-11 styled guns, grenades, and AK-47's in order to fight in Armageddon. Listeners are to "spread the message." Even though the rappers do not address Farrakhan or Nation of Islam, they align themselves further with Nation of Islam when they say that Jesus put blacks "to sleep until [the rappers and kind] raise up on [their] enemy." ("Handle the Vibe" of album 6.) Any whites who the rappers perceive as racists are targeted for death as follows: "a .306 with the scope, I make a skinhead brain bust all across the West Coast." ("BNK.")
While promoting violent gang life and while not saying that blacks should stop crimes against non-blacks, they do say that black-on-black killings should stop: "put down your 40's; pick up your fists, and handle that shit like men 'cause too many punks out their pumping, thinking your gat is your friend"; ("Crossroad" of album 3;) "to the little boys and girls all over the world, this shit that we says for the streets, not for you to go and do or to repeat; please, if we can, no more murder amongst ourselves; if we can, no more murder"; ("If I Could Teach the World" of album 6.)
The rappers make claims about their influence on listeners, and some examples follow: "we single 'handedly' take over your mind and the rest of the planet; see, I'll be damned if we surrender; agenda is still 'No Pretender' [kill police officers and their children]"; ("Mind of a Souljah" from album 6;) "take over the planet with my daily tortures. . . . your ghetto resource. . . . my mental seduction run your whole sound suction; abduction of lyrics is the loss of life. . . . lieutenant overseeing the barracks"; ("Ready 4 War" of album 6;) "you're feeling the strength of the rump; step up; hear the funk of the jump that the thugsters feel; just be thugging, straight buzzing; loving your peoples because we so real; chill; better bring your weapon when stepping; bring on that ammunition; trip [become upset] and don't slip"; ("Thuggish Ruggish Bone" of album 2.)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony contributed tracks to compilation albums that included tracks by the following artists: in 1997 with Ice Cube and Ras Kass; in 1997 with Naughty by Nature; in 1997 with Wu-Tang Clan and Coolio; in 1997 with LL Cool J and Method Man; and in 1998 with NOFX.
References
album 1:Faces of Death, B.O.N.E. Enterprise, 1993, Stoney Burke.
album 2: Creepin on ah Come Up, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, 1994, Ruthless Records, Red Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Corporation.
album 3: E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, 1995, Ruthless Records, Red Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Corporation.
album 4: Mo Thugs Family Scriptures, Mo Thugs featuring Bone, 1996, Mo Thugs Records, Relativity Recordings, Red Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Corporation
album 5: T.H.U.G.S. Trues Humbly United Gatherin Souls, Flesh-N-Bone, 1996, Rush Associated Labels Recordings, PolyGram Group Distribution, Philips' Electronics. PolyGram merged with Universal Music Group which is a subsidiary of The Seagram Company.
album 6: The Art of War, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, 1997, Ruthless Recordings, Ruthless Records, Red Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Corporation
album 7: Southwest Riders, various artists, 1997, Sick Wid It Records, Zomba Recording Corporation.
album 8: Family Scriptures Chapter II: Family Reunion, Mo Thugs, 1998, Mo Thugs Records, Ruthless Records, Relativity Records, Red Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Corporation
album 9: Bizzy Bone Presents Heaven'z Movie, Bizzy Bone, 1998, Ruthless Records, Relativity Records, Relativity Entertainment, Red Distribution, Sony.
album 10: Thug Mentality 1999, Krayzie Bone, 1999, Krayzie Bone Productions, Ruthless Records, Relativity Records, Relativity Entertainment, Red Distribution, Sony.
In the album booklets, credits and thanks are handed out to each other and to the following:
On album 2: Shatasha Williams, Eazy-E, Yella, "niggaz from the 'hood on lock down."
On album 3: The Box, MTV, BET, Soul Train, journalists, radio, Eazy-E.
On album 4: a radio station.
On album 5: Layzie, Krayzie, Wish, Bizzy, Mo Thugs, Poetic Hustla'z, Graveyard Shift, Tre, II Tru, Souljah Boy, Ken Dawg, and Eazy-E.
On album 6: 2Pac, Makavelli, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, K-Dee, Yo-Yo, and "to all my niggas from that evil eastside of South Central LA."
On album 8: RIP is sent out to Tombstone, Eazy-E, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., "and everyone else we lost; see you at the Crossroads."
On album 9: Eazy-E and Afeni Shakur. A list of "Fuck You's" is also given.
On album 10: Bam, Relay, Treach, Niko, Eightball, MJG, Fat Joe, Big Punisher, Cuban Link, Knieght Rieduz, K-Mont, Asu, Snoop Doggy Dog, Mariah Carey, E-40, Gangsta Boo, Up In Clouds, Mo! Hart, and The Marley Brothers.
Posted at http://home.att.net/~phosphor on June 30, 1999.
Last editing was posted 11-3-99, 9-19-99.
The above article and linked articles are not a complete summary of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's connections to violently racist music, and readers may want to research and expose more of it.