With 35 million records already under their belt, (their latest album debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts) and having been the only artists to collab with 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Eazy-E and Big Pun,Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have the rap game looking like it comes easy. We sit down and chop it up with Wish Bone about their new album, Strength in Loyalty, what Michael Jackson and Bizzy have in common, and why they really killed his dog. Bone bone bone bone...

How exactly did you get started? I read a story that you guys spent all of your money to go out to LA to secure a deal with Eazy-E at the time.
It wasn’t a deal with Eazy-E it was actually a deal with anybody that wanted to listen to us at the point. We wanted to mess with Eazy-E though, that was our goal—that’s why we sought him like that. What happened was, it was one way bus tickets to LA, got down there, got down there, we had to call around see what’s happening. Niggas walked over to umm what’s his name? Not Ice T but the dude…Tone Loc’s house and he wasn’t really showing no love like “Fuck y’all doing showin’ up at my house!?” (Laughs) So then we had to revert to going, and hollered at Eazy-E. We was basically trying to holler at anybody who would give us a listen. So Eazy-E finally gave us a listen; I think Krayzie Bone rapped on a song for him. We found out he had a show in Cleveland got with the people we knew from doing all the underground stuff, and they let us open up for Eazy E. After that he called us backstage, and I think Bizzy and Layzie was the ones that actually made it backstage; me and Krayzie got shut out because it was so hectic. We went to the hotel after that and the next day he sent for us.

That sounds like a crazy story. What else has happened to you guys that’s really out there, like on tour?
Oh man, I would have to sa y just off the top of my head, one time had a show and we was really late and the fire department—well for one they over sold the show. You know, greedy ass promoters. So when we showed up everybody was outside and we was in a punk ass limo, so you know we was marked. I remember motherfuckers jumping all on the limo and going crazy. One person got shot. Somebody got stabbed. We eventually ended up getting out of the limo, and just rapping in the street.

Shit, that is crazy.
Than a motherfucker; because I didn’t get out the limo, to keep it real. Yea, a few crazy motherfuckers. That was like back during our first album.

Having the opportunity to work with him on his last album, how did you guys celebrate the tenth anniversary of Biggie’s death?
We was actually at a party for that and we spoke on the mic on stage in front of the crowd you know, because Biggie was definitely a very very good friend of mine, a very close friend of mine. That was my dude, for real. We were actually the Big Boys, him and me.

(Laughs) Cool, did you think that the record that you were making at that time, “Notorious Thugs,” would end up having the success it did?
Truthfully blew up in our faces. I didn’t expect any of it. Like I said, It’s all a blessing but when it was happening it was just like, honestly, being out of your own body, like it was someone else. Like, “Damn they’re calling for me? I mean these people talking bout me?” You know what I mean?

Do you have an artist in particular that you favor working with or collaborating with?
We've always wanted to work with different artists and do different things; we’ve just never had that opportunity. All of us would love to work with definitely Micheal Jackson. Even though he’s a little fruity right now or whatever. Still though, the nigga is a genius. I’m more into the old school stuff. I wish Marvin Gaye was still around, so we could do a collabo.

Could you then see yourself kind of sampling one of his old records?
Oh yeah, definitely; but I would love to do it like a real song done that approves of. I don’t like doing stuff that nigga did and you just get on the song. How you know that motherfucker’s gonna like you? Or wants to do the song with you? Or approves the song? You might do it but that don’t mean he’s gonna like it.


 
What caused the breakup with Bizzy Bone?
His self. Him - that’s exactly what caused it. People used to look at us like we were late, not on time, not about our business, not doing the right thing. But in all actuality, all they wanted was the group. When just the three of us would show up to shows and he wasn’t around, it made us all look bad. But it was never Krayzie, Layzie, or Wish; it was always Bizzy’s fucking fault. Quote me saying that: “Fuck him!”

So then you’ve heard about his outrageous interview with a Houston radio station?
Man, of course we heard about that. To me it’s like, [Bizzy] done fucked up so bad to a point now where he gotta play into the shit now. He can’t come back and be like “Oh I’m just cool now.” Now, he gotta look crazy—because we handling our business without him and shit is still moving forward. So now he gotta play crazy even though he ain’t. He gotta play into that actor persona because he’s a fucking stunt artist for real.

You think so?
He ain’t crazy. [Bizzy] ain’t none of that shit. All of that shit is an act. Fag ass nigga.

Would you still consider yourself friends or acquaintances?
Me? Nah not me. I can’t speak for anyone else but me, personally, hell no! I don’t fuck with him—period. I don’t see myself fucking with him no time in the future, because truthfully the shit we going through right now would not have to be the way it is if he would have just acted right and did the right thing.

Like what? What are you going through?
I’m not going through anything right now. I’m good. But things could be a lot different as far as our image and outlook to everyone else if he would have done the right thing when it was time to do it. He thought he was Michael without the Jackson’s. Fag ass nigga.

So let’s talk about your newest album Strength in Loyalty.
Oh man, it’s great. Everybody understood where we were coming from and they wasn’t actually setting us back because of the Bizzy situation. Everybody understood that it wasn’t us. We were still ready to work, we still got good music in us, and we always gonna do that. It was just a blessing for everybody to embrace us like that. Like I said, we never had a chance to work with so many different producers and different artists.

You guys are signed to Swizz Beatz’s new label right?
Yeah, we’re affiliated through Full Service to Interscope.

Did he have a lot of input on the album?
Yeah definitely; Swizz put the kick-start on the album, bottom line. When we came in, he told us “I’m a hell of a producer but I’m not trying to do your whole album, because that’s what people expect. They expect it to be me and not y’all.” He opened up the doors for everybody to get involved in the project, because you know we got forever and a day to do music together, which we’re always gonna do because we family now. So he was like let’s get everybody, let’s just work with everybody to make this album what it needs to be. Gotta love that nigga for that!

What’s going on with the label you guys created? Is it still around? Any recent productions on it?
Yea; me and Krayzie Bone have Thugline Records, and Layzie has Mo’Thugs Records. I’m actually sitting here right now with one of my artists, Keef G the Bomb. We got Keef G coming out real soon. My first solo record’s going to be coming out. We got Young G’z coming out from Cleveland—that’s another group we’ve got on the label. We messing with Boss, Lady of Rage. We got a lot of things in the works.

Last words?
We want to apologize to them for the intermissions between the albums and everything like that. It wasn’t our fault, and in the future stick with us because we’re good dudes and we love each and every one of y’all.

Spoken like a true Thug.