Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Xzibit, and Too $hort

The group started performing around the Cleveland area in the early ‘90s under several names such as The Band-Aid Boys and B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e. The group was fairly large containing five members: Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, and Wish Bone. They released their first album “Faces of Death” in 1993 under the guidance of Krayzie Bone’s older brother, but the album did not gain them the success they were hoping to achieve. After the group released their debut album they were persistently seeking to find someone who could give them a record deal. After much searching they finally caught the eye of NWA’s Eazy-E who signed them to his label and convinced the group to change their name from B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

In 1994 the group released their first EP “Creepin on ah Come Up” on Ruthless Records to commercial and critical success. The EP reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The EP contained the very popular singles “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “For tha Love of $”, which featured Eazy-E. The EP showed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony shifting styles from the hardcore and abrasive gangsta rap style to a more G-Funk style that was prevalent in West Coast hip-hop.

The year 1995 showed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony releasing their second album “E. 1999 Eternal”, which would become the group’s most popular album. The album has been certified 4x Platinum and reached the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was also a critical success having been nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album and The Source labeled it as one of the best rap albums of the ‘90s. The album contained the singles “1st of that Month”, “East 1999”, and “Tha Crossroads”. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were also praised for their melodic approach to rapping as well as the soundscape of the album, which included infectious G-Funk beats and dark uses of synthesizers.

After achieving mainstream success with their music career, the group started their own label called Mo Thugs Records that released albums for many Cleveland based artists. The group’s third album “The Art of War” was released in 1997 to commercial success and contained several unique collaborations, which included a song with Tupac Shakur labeled “Thug Luv”. The group’s fourth album “BTNHResurrection” also received commercial success, but it would be the last album that Flesh-n-Bone would appear on until their 2010 release “Uni5: The World’s Enemy”.

In the early 2000’s Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone, and Krayzie Bone would take a break from the group and each release solo albums. For the group’s 2006 album “Thug Stories” the group was only down to three members, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone, but the album was well received and placed high on the Billboard charts. Their 2010 album “Uni5: The World’s Enemy” saw all original members of the group reunited again.

Over the years the group has collaborated with some of the most celebrated performers in the business including Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, The Game, Akon, and will.i.am. The group has also worked with some of the most well-respected rappers including 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and Big Pun. The group’s final album has plans for collaborations with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Mob. Their final album will only have one copy released, which will have a starting bid of $1 million dollars, and the album will be backed by a large world tour.

Following a move to Alberquerue, New Mexico at the age of 10, Alvin Joiner began writing rhymes and immersing himself in hip-hop culture. By 17 the rapper had moved to Los Angeles, California to live with his sister, and shortly after made his recording debut on The Alkaholiks’ single “Hit and Run” in 1995, followed by King Tee’s “Free Style Ghetto”. Originally performing under the moniker Exhibit A, the rapper subsequently singed to Loud Records who issued his debut album “At the Speed of Life”. The critically acclaimed release was led by the single “Paparazzi”, which charted at No. 74 on the Billboard 200, and paved the way for Xzibit’s future success. In promotion of the album the rapper spent the next two years raising his reputation as an underground artist, touring alongside the Litwit Crew.

Xzibit’s sophmore album “40 Dayz & 40 Nightz” arrived in August 1998 charting at No. 58 on the Billboard 200. Dubbed another instant classic, the record expanded the rapper’s listenership aided by the singles “What U See Is What U Get”, “Los Angeles Times”, “3 Card Molly”, and “Pussy Pop”. Due to this success, the Michigan native was afforded the luxury of contributing to Dr. Dre’s six-times platinum album “2001”, Snoop Dogg’s single “Bitch Please”, and made his acting debut in the 1999 film “The Breaks”.

The new millennium brought with it an Xzibit compilation album “Litwik Rhymes” largely comprised of previously unreleased material. It wasn’t however until the release of his third studio album “Restless” featuring Dr. Dre as executive producer, that Xzibit rose to rap superstardom. The December 2000 album featuring guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nate Dogg, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, and earned a host of positive reviews. The live concert DVD “Xzibit: Restless Xposed” was released in 2001, followed by “You Better Believe It”, a compilation of songs in which he featured.

The rapper’s fourth full-length “Man vs. Machine” was his highest charting to date, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, despite Xzibit’s disappointment at the promotion of the record. Xzibit subsequently appeared in the films “8 Mile” and “The Country Bears”, and toured extensively with The Golden State Project Rap collective featuring Tha Alkaholiks, Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

Following a move to Columbia Records, Xzibit released his fifth studio album “Weapons of Mass Destruction” in December 2004. Again producing disappointing results the rapper began focusing his attention on his acting career including roles in 2004’s “Full Clip”, 2005’s “XXX: State of the Union”, and 2005’s “Derailed”. The rapper returned in 2006 to release “Circle” on Koch Records, however plagued by financial troubles for tax evasion, fans had to wait until 2012 to hear his next full-length “Napalm” in 2012.

Since 1982, Too $hort actively produced and released LPs such as ‘Don’t Stop Rappin’, ‘Players’ and ‘Raw, Uncut and X-Rated’, before gaining widespread recognition and an RIAA Gold certification, along with a chart-spot of no. 50 in the US R&B listings, with ‘Born to Mack’. Too $hort’s initial success continued as the explicit rapper achieved numerous accolades throughout the 1990s. The albums ‘Get in Where You Fit In’, ‘Cocktails’ and ‘Gettin’ It (Album Number Ten)’ all peaked at the top of the US R&B charts and received an RIAA Platinum rating, whilst also charting in the top 10 of the US Albums chart. Between 1996-2000, Too $hort achieved five top 10 positions in the US Rap chart with singles such as ‘More Freaky Tales’ and ‘2 Bitches’.

Too $hort continued to release records through the 2000s and 2010s; most notably, his album ‘Blow the Whistle’ peaked at no. 14 on the US Billboard 200. He encountered great success when featuring on tracks with other music artists too; for instance, he rapped on Kelis’s ‘Bossy’ in 2006 which peaked at no. 16 on the US Singles Chart, and he partook on Chris Brown’s ‘Loyal’ which peaked at number nine in 2014.

Too $hort is often compared to E-40, Ant Banks and Mistah F.A.B, and the Californian-born lyricist performed at prestigious settings such as iTunes Festival and Coachella. Too $hort’s talents have also lead him further afield; he played the role of Lew-Loc in the film Menace II Society and voiced the character Fillyacup on the animated sitcom The Siccness Network between 2000-2001, whilst he has also been a mentor at Youth Uprising, an organization serving at-risk youths.

As such a mainstay in the hip-hop scene, Too $hort worked alongside artists such as Twista, Snoop Dogg and Jagged Edge, and is regarded as a true pioneer of the West Coast movement.