KRAYZIE BONE
"THUG ON DA LINE"
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As one of the most influential rap artists in hip hop history, KRAYZIE BONE, with his Cleveland, Ohio crew Bone Thugs-N-Harmony has contributed to the shaping of an entire generation of music. Not only has he lent a huge hand in selling over thirty million records, he has also penned a style of rhythmic and harmonious lyrical patterns that are heard in the lyrics of many different rappers today. With the success that he's achieved over the years it isn't enough for the 27-year old mastermind, his latest release Thug On The Line is the next chapter of his true-to-life audio novel on reality.

"I'm putting everything on the line," KRAYZIE BONE says. "My first solo project, Thug Mentality...(1999) explained who I was as a solo artist, but this album explains everything I've been through since then. Everything's changed."

Thug On The Line is a musical masterpiece that ventures into the world of KRAYZIE'S melodious mind, KRAYZIE explains. "If you listen to the album you will get some insight on my life."

KRAYZIE knows that his struggles are similar to those of the common man. On the first single to be released, the Sade-laced "Hard Time Hustlin'," KRAYZIE speaks about a young man who feels his family has no way out of the ghetto (Mama and Papa laid off, brother in jail) so he decides to take financial charge by hustling. He hustles in the streets to provide for his family, yet, when he decides he's on his last hustle he gets busted by the Feds and goes to jail.

KRAYZIE has struggled with his own relationships, and that's why the single, "If They Only Knew," deals with the shady behavior many people bring to their romantic lives. "It's about relationships, cheating and everything else that's going on today," he says of the single. "The concept is one that everybody can relate to because damn near everybody is on some cheat sh*t. It's also got a nice track that you can roll to." The hook from "If They Only Knew" is derived from the catchy Michael Jackson song, "Girlfriend."

KRAYZIE revisits another classic tune on "Time After Time." This time, it's Heavy D. & The Boyz's slow jam "Don't You Know." "I used to love that song back in the days," KRAYZIE says of the Heavy D. track. "I was trying to find the CD and it took me almost a year to get it. I'd always wanted to use that track, so when I found it, it was going down. I bought the CD and took it straight to the studio." Whereas Heavy Ds song was a declaration to a female he was infatuated with, KRAYZIE addresses his faith in God on the song, asking for His help and guidance throughout life's seemingly constant challenges. "God is what's going to help you get through everything," KRAYZIE says. "You've got to acknowledge him in everything you do."

Producers LT Hutton (Snoop Dogg), Neptunes (Jay-Z), Damizza (Mariah Carey), KRAYZIE himself and others ensure that the music on Thug On The Line can be pleasing, soothing and stimulating. "This is a more laid-back album, one that you can kick it to," KRAYZIE says. "'Thug MentalityŠ was more serious and I was getting a lot of stuff off of my chest. This one is more relaxed and I'm kicking it with my Thug Line artists." Special performances on the album include the original female gangsta rapper Boss ("A Thugga Level" and "Roll It Up Some Mo'") and breakthrough R&B artist Kelis (on the Neptunes-produced "Da Thugs"). Also included are appearances from artists on his Thug Line label: La Reece, Keef G, Young Dre, Asu, K-Mont, Bam and his Bone Thugs' brother, Wish Bone.

Because a lot has been going on in the rap world recently, Krayzie will be releasing a three-cut 12" to radio in order to re-familiarize himself with the hip-hop world. On the A-side, the self-proclaimed anthem of the album, "Y'all Don't Know Me," KRAYZIE explains that while a lot of people feel they know him because of Bone Thugs, they really don't. He says of the charged single, "It's my anthem, an introduction to the album. It's preparing you for twenty tracks that talk about everything I've been through in the game, that y'all don't know about."

The title track on the B-side, "Thug On The Line" serves as an introduction to two of his Thug Line artists, La Reece and Asu. The third song turns out to be the charm, as KRAYZIE turns celebratory on "Rolling Up Some Mo'." "Rolling Up Some Mo'" borrows its chorus from Lou Bega's "Mambo #5" and relishes in the fun. It also features long-lost rapper Boss, the pioneering female gangster rapper. The collaboration turned out magnificently.

With the soul riveting music and socially conscience subject matter in KRAYZIE'S songs, he can be considered the Marvin Gaye of his generation. It's simply impossible to peg KRAYZIE'S artistry into one category. Though he raps, the aroma of classic soul music seeps through each lyric. Though KRAYZIE harmonizes, the raw essence of his life attracts the hardest knuckleheads of the streets. Only few artists per generation have the ability to speak to the hearts of anyone who listens. KRAYZIE BONE truly lives up to the standard.

He attributes his rhyme talents to superstars of yesteryear. "When I was a kid in elementary--I used to imitate Michael Jackson and New Edition," he says of his predecessors. "From there, I got into Run DMC. I started writing down their lyrics, and was like got damn, this is easy as hell I can do this sh*t. I started writing my own rhymes from listening to their rhymes." Far from being cocky, KRAYZIE BONE views his diehard work ethic as just something he loves to do. "I love the music. That's what keeps me in the studio," he says humbly. "There is always something to talk about, all you have to do is look around."

KRAYZIE in 1994 was responsible for plotting Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's groundbreaking debut, the multi-platinum release of Creepin On Ah Come Up which spent more than 70 weeks on Billboard's "Top 200" album's chart enabling them to achieve critical, musical and commercial breakthrough status. He hit again in 1995 with the group's second release, E. 1999 Eternal, which sold 330,000 copies in its first week out. With his legendary style, KRAYZIE, created a more thought provoking side of hip-hop with innovative rap melodies on some of the biggest songs of the genre ("Tha Crossroad," "1st Of Tha Month," and "Thuggish Ruggish Bone.") The group went on to release three more albums and have won a Grammy, an American Music Award, and the coveted Soul Train Michael Jackson video award for their efforts.

Aside from his endeavors with Bone Thugs, he's the only member that has reached platinum status as a solo artist. He also spawned the multi-platinum success of his group the Mo' Thugs family. Now with Thug Line Records, KRAYZIE plans to introduce a talented collection of artists whose impact on hip-hop will only continue to grow with time. With Thug On The Line, he's expanding his own expansive horizons yet again. It's the only way he knows how to make music. "I just like to come different every time," he says. "That's what I strive for, to come very different from the last time and switch it up. I try to not have any projects sound alike."

But there is one way that they do sound alike: they're all classics.