17 Oct
2026
When Bone Thugs-n-Harmony first broke through in the mid-1990s, many listeners had never heard anything like them. They rapped fast, but they also sang, stacking their voices into smooth harmonies over dark, moody beats. They came from Cleveland, Ohio, far from the coastal cities that usually ruled rap, and they proved that a fresh sound can come from anywhere.
The group's best-known lineup was Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone and Flesh-n-Bone. They came up together in Cleveland and were determined to get noticed. Their big break came through Eazy-E, the former N.W.A member who ran Ruthless Records in Los Angeles. He signed the group and became their mentor.
They were not an overnight success. Before the big break, they spent time trying to get their music heard, and their persistence paid off when Eazy-E gave them a chance. Their first major release, the 1994 EP Creepin on ah Come Up, introduced the world to their style with songs like "Thuggish Ruggish Bone." A year later came the album E. 1999 Eternal, which turned them into stars.
What made Bone Thugs stand out was the way they blended two things that rarely went together. Here is what to listen for:
That melodic approach influenced many artists who came later, and you can hear echoes of it in the sung-rap styles that are common today.
Eazy-E died in March 1995, and his loss hit the group hard. "Tha Crossroads," released as a single in 1996, honored him along with family and friends the members had lost. It was a song about grief and hoping to see loved ones again, wrapped in gentle harmonies.
The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for weeks. In 1997 it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. For a group that had started out hustling for attention in Cleveland, it was a remarkable rise, and it showed that a rap song about mourning could reach millions of people.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony also crossed paths with two of the biggest names of the era. They recorded "Thug Luv" with Tupac Shakur, a song that appeared on their 1997 album The Art of War. They also teamed up with The Notorious B.I.G. on "Notorious Thugs," from his album Life After Death, where Biggie adapted his flow to match their quick, melodic style.
Few groups worked with both artists, and those records are a reminder of how respected Bone's sound had become. The group went on to release more albums and tour for years, and their harmonies remain instantly recognizable to fans of 1990s rap.
In his memoir, Neglected But Undefeated, Jonathan Anthony Burkett remembers a hard season as a teenager when his therapist and psychiatrist gave him a compact disc player so he would not sit and dwell on the past. One of the songs he loved most then was Tupac's "Hell 4 a Hustler," because of the true feelings he felt when he listened to it, and he wanted a Tupac Shakur mix with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
When they mentioned that he also loved love songs, he explained his taste in a way that still says a lot about him:
“Yeah, I love music, period, not just love songs and rap,” I told them. “But what matters is how I am feeling and what I am wanting.”
— Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated (2012)
That idea fits Bone Thugs well. Their music could be fast and tough, but songs like "Tha Crossroads" also made room for sadness and hope. For a young listener going through a lot, music that held both of those feelings at once could mean everything.
You do not have to pick one lane as a listener. Rap, love songs, reggae and soul can all have a place in your life, depending on what you are feeling and what you need. Make a playlist for the hard days and another for the hopeful ones, and notice which songs help you keep going.
Jonathan now makes inspirational hip hop and soul of his own. Hear it on the Music page, or read his full story on the Books page.
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