Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Album: “E 1999 Eternal”

E 1999 Eternal is truly(if not the) one of the best CDs to grace the rap industry...So Hardcore, yet so melodic and smooth at the same time with heart-felt, hood influenced, deeply thought lyrics across the whole album. There is no way that you will pick up this project and not enjoy it!! And that comes from a me as a Cleveland rapper (you have to know how hard it is to impress somebody of the same industry) Once i pop in this cd i don't need to skip a single track..even the skit Mr. Ouija is a hit...how many people can do that?

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - East 1999 Eternal

1. Da Introduction (10/10; greatest Inro' to any album EVER)

2. East 1999 (10/10)

3. Eternal (10/10)

4. Crept and We Came (10/10)

5. Down '71 (The Getaway) (10/10)

6. Mr. Bill Collector (9.5/10)

7. Budsmokers Only (I consider this a Skit, even though it really isn't)

8. Crossroads (10/10)

9. Me Killa (Skit)

10. Land Of Tha Heartless (10/10)

11. No Shorts, No Losses (10/10)

12. 1st Of The Month (10/10; I could blaze this song all day)

13. Buddah Lovaz (???)

14. Die, Die, Die (10/10)

15. Mr. Ouija 2 (Skit)

16. Mo' Murda (10/10)

17. Shotz To Tha Double Glock (10/10)

I must say, you can't get ANYMORE quality than this album. It's Bone's greatest achievement, for sure. It is the GREATEST album of all time, as a matter of fact. In my mind, this album is absolutely perfect. I'd give it a 1,000,000/10, if I could.

Just as well, Bone ARE real. You won't hear them rapping about "hoes," the diamonds in their ears, pink rings, sex (well, every now & then, they mention it), "bling, bling," their fancy cars, or any other bull that these new rappers ALL rap about. More than anything, though, they have the talent to be true rappers. They are the greatest rappers to ever be in the game. As far as skill goes, absolutely UNDEFEATABLE.

You can't be a Rap fan and not have this album.

This album was one of the first rap albums that I ever attached myself to. At age 14, I had a new group of best friends that listened to Bone nearly all day. Their older brothers and cousins had introduced them, and so I was introduced second hand. "Mr. Bill Collector" and especially "Notorious Thugz" were songs that I came to hear everyday, along with the whole cannon of Bone albums and occasionally some of the group's solo albums (which nearly always lack something that the group has when together).

Something that always attracted me to Bone was their obliviousness to the trends that populated the rap scene. This album sounds alot like it's peers--Biggie Smalls and Twista are noteworthy--but at the same time holds something that the other didn't, as if the Cleveland boys new something that the east and west coasters' didn't. Bizzy Bone's 2005 release, Speaking in Tongues, is a good indicator of this, as is some of Mo Thugs collective work. But now I'm getting off the subject.

The production is tight and never does it protrude so as to eclipse the lyrics. The rhymes themselves are interesting, if not sometimes confusing. Bone (especially Bizzy) is obsessed with apocalyptic imagery; skulls, hellfire and angels work their way into nearly every song on this album. "Crept And We Came" is a good example: "Ready be off 'em in a coffin, and a all'll be sprayed. Follow the murderous gauge. Follow me murderous ways." The high pitched synth line works well with the piano hook here, as it does on nearly every track that Bone has done. If anything can be said of them, it would definitely be that they work well with string instruments. Shouting out to their homies, or puttin' a shotgun to your chest--it's all encompassed by a somewhat ethnic sense of style. Maybe Bizzy isn't crazy; maybe they do have spiritual connections.

"Tha Crossroads" (which replaced the far inferior "Crossroad", after the former won an Emmy) is the most recognized track on the album, sans "1st Of Tha Month", and shows just how deserving they are of title of "Harmony". "1st of Tha Month" quickly became the summer anthem after the album's release, and is still wildly popular in some parts of the country (hell, even I hear it on the radio from time to time). "Buddha Lovaz" was a fan favorite for years, and was even given the Screw treatment from DJ Screw himself, prior to his death. I'm not sure if it's because of the content, but the song actually sounds better screwed up--something that Bone obviously recognized and favored, as they heralded the release of their Greatest Hits, remixed by Michael "5000" Watts, in 2005. While I do admit that the album gets a bit flimsy towards the end, it wouldn't be the same without "Mo Murda" and it's insanely catchy low-pitch chorus. This itself has been used by other artists, most notably Juicy J (of Three 6 Mafia) on his album Chronicles of the Juiceman.

Sadly, this debut album was the strongest thing to come out of their original incarnation. Art of War suffered from bad editing (it didn't need to span 2 discs), and Resurrection needn't even be associated with the Mo Thugs label. Thug World Order has some damn fine tracks (and an appearance from Phil Collins), but still lacks the personality and unforgiving brutality that E. '99 has. With a new Bone album supposedly coming out in the next two weeks, I'm going to be crossing my fingers and hoping that I feel this fire once again.

This is the greatest Bone album ever, and by far. It has all of them: Layzie,Bizzy,Krazyie,Wish, and Flesh(raps the least) rappin on it.

1. Da Intro- it's pretty good 8.5/10

2. East 1999- one of the best 9.5/10

3. Eternal- good 8/10

4. Crept we Came- good song 8.5/10

5. Down 71-My favorite has to be one of he greatest 10/10

6. Mr. Bill Collector- good track 8/10

7. Bubsmokers only- it was alright but not for me 5/10

8. Tha Crossroads- 1st Bone song i herd, dedication to "Eazy" 9/10

9.Me Killa- 1st of 2 interludes cool 8/10

10. Land Of Tha Heartless- quick uptempo beat that catchy 8.5/10

11. No Shorts, No losses- only other sing i didn't like 5/10

12. 1st of tha month- still played today, made the famous wit "Crossroads" 10/10

13. Buddah Lovaz- j/k didn't like this one either 5/10

14. Die, Die, Die- cool beat fast touges by Bizzy- 8.5/10

15. Mr. Ouija- last interlude, i liked it 8/10

16. Mo' Murda- great track 9/10

17. Shotz to tha double glock- tight all of them r on dis track 9/10

This is the breakthrough CD that put Bone on the map. It contains the always pleasing "Crossroads" as well as many other hidden gems. The CD is awesome from top to bottom.

When you think of Bone you think of one word: style. The thugs from the double glock are always coming with that lightning fast Cleveland style. They require you to study their lyrics many times before you even come close to getting what they're saying, and even then it can be a little touch and go at times. Nevertheless, the combination of 4 distinct voices creates the most unique sound in rap.

The Bone Thugs explore singing combined with rap in a way that blends hard core and harmony in a way that nobody else can touch. They go from super fast raps to singing songs, often having shockingly violent choruses such as: "Keeping them on the run, with a me shot gun", and of course "Pop Pop, givin up shotz, to the double glock glock".

They explore every issue from blind thug violence to welfare. While the thugs really fail to give us any compelling material to work with, in these issues they manage to create beautiful songs from these images. Bone creates the street image more than they aim to solve problems in E. 1999. Eternal. While not as raw and shocking as Creepin on ah Come Up, they still show more than traces of indiscriminate violent tendencies.

The quintessential Bone issue is, ahem, smoking grass. The Bone Thugs will stop at no end to glorify the use of grass. Although I don't love the rappers for recommending marijuana or any other drugs to the listeners, I have to say that Bone does it perfectly. They create wonderful ballads to the drug, and it is mentioned literally hundreds of times in the album. While most all rappers express love for the chronic the Bone Thugs harp on it in a way that eventually becomes humorous.

At the end of the day, Bone isn't about lyrical substance. They manipulate the language in new and innovative ways. They create a sound that is completely unique and their rhymes are constantly brilliant. Even after saying that - the Bone Thugs are occasionally compelling which is what pushes them up to the highest level of rap in this album. While keeping the style relentlessly flowing, the thugs create some truly touching material. It doesn't happen every song, but once in a while they create a Tha Crossroads type feeling.

My favorite track would have to be Tha Crossroads which is written as Crossroad on the back of the album's cover. It never gets old, and it has a marvelous message, lyrics, style, subject matter, and a very pleasing beat. It is definitely one of the greatest songs of all time. You gotta really hear it to feel its wonderfulness. Other very-well done tracks are Mo' Murda, East 1999, Eternal, Shotz to Tha Double Glock, 1st of tha Month, and Land of Tha Heartless (which contains my favorite line of rap, "N****z get vicious with my clique cause even the b*****s carry guns").

I won't blindly praise the CD, I'll just give it a very high recommendation. They're fast, and they're cool. I never got sick of E. 1999 Eternal although I bought it 8 years ago. So, if you consider yourself a fan of rap and you don't own this album, then, well, you are not a rap fan and never will be.