CD Review: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Strength And Loyalty

By Brendan Butler: 2007-05-08 01:20:51

Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone and Wish Bone bring their crazily coincidental names back for the brand new Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album Strength & Loyalty--a diverse compilation that is impossible for me to review in conjunction with what else is happening in rap and hip-hop right now, plainly because I have no idea what’s going on over there.

Now if there’s one group that never shies away from sharing the bulk of the spotlight on their own albums, it’s the one and only Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The Cleveland-originated gangsta rap trio has previously collaborated with such rap legends as Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac and Eazy-E, proving its one of the few remaining rap ensembles left with a rich history, along with Public Enemy and the Wu-Tang Clan.

Strength & Loyalty, the group's first album in nearly five years, doesn’t withhold on passing invitations to fellow artists, which proves to be the meat of this record--because as good as Bones might be by themselves, they really play well with others. Take the album’s hottest track, the ballad “I Tried,” featuring hip-hop’s new “it boy” Akon, living up to the hype. The spiritual song deals with those trying to escape the angsty feelings of street life, and then subsequently calling out to a higher power for guidance out of it.

The other good stuff oozing out of the album is “Flowmotion,” a killer number where the boys showcase how fast they can rap, which apparently is really, really fast. For “Wind Blow,” they sample from Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Hearing these mixes can be awkward at first, until they win us over by developing their own identity.

Then Mariah Carey and Bow Wow (who, remember, axed the preceding “Lil” some time ago) join the cause for “Lil L.O.V.E.” Mariah reveals she’s still plenty relevant and is not vanishing anytime soon. Bow Wow sounds pleased with himself in the song’s background, so good for him.

The pseudo-religious theme from “I Tried” carries over to “Order My Steps (Dear Lord)” with a reading of a Bible verse (Jeremiah 10: 23-24, if you want to be specific) followed by excessive condemnation over people not praying and repenting enough. I initially thought it was packed with real heart, but the three violence-praising tracks that round out the record diminish the gospel wannabe’s authenticity.

When we get right down to it, Strength & Loyalty is a good listen and certainly won’t lose Bones any ground, despite its schizo leaps in tone. The group’s fanbase will likely embrace the whole thing with open arms, though, and why not? As the wise people always say, go with the flowmotion.

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