Gothic Theatre
Bizzy Bone (of Bone Thugs N Harmony)
Hip-hop has never shied away from indiscreet references to various parts of the body. Songs, albums, even entire careers have focused on the more lascivious locations in human anatomy. But as in life, substance is beyond skin deep. Indeed, behind the façade lies the structure, the essence, the pith. The Bone. That is, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The very skeleton on which Midwest rap is built, the innovative ensemble from Cleveland occupies a peerless place in hip-hop history for its unprecedented harmonies, countless cadences, and dazzling spoken/sung delivery. And at the group’s core, its very backbone, was Bizzy Bone.
Revered for his unscalable high-octave acrobatics and breathless flow, Bizzy Bone helped usher in a sound previously unheard, and which remains irreplaceable and inimitable. The group’s complex art spawned some simple mathematics: over 30 million records sold worldwide. Now, Bizzy is looking to build upon the foundation cemented with Bone Thugs via his first major-label solo effort, A Song For You. “You can’t walk into a record store without seeing Bizzy Bone there, period,” he asserts. “You just can’t do it. Whether it’s with Bone Thugs, or with Puffy, or Tupac, or Biggie, or any of the different artists I have worked with.”
Bizzy’s reemergence and rejuvenation come courtesy of a three-album deal inked with After Platinum Records. And Bizzy Bone, whose childhood and career have been pockmarked by well-documented travails, is grateful for the rebirth. “After Platinum Records deserves all the credit for putting the record together,” he attests. “As far as my solo career, no one had really taken the chance on me like they loved me. After Platinum allowed me to be an artist; for once in a solo career to have that opportunity is a blessing. And in working with good people, good things happen.”
And one of those good things, of course, is A Song for You. Featuring in-house production from After Platinum Records, Mr. Lee, and Good Charlotte, A Song For You balances the expectation of legacy with the promise of tomorrow. “It’s back to the basics; it’s the fast style, but it also has an angelic and spiritual overtone that no other record has really had before,” Bizzy maintains proudly. “When you listen to it, the level that you’re on is the level you’re going to receive from it. It’s an information-driven record. It’s a feel-good record. It’s something to listen to when you’re depressed and want to let a tear go. It’s also something to listen to when you want to party. And for those who are going through the day-to-day struggle, who are working day-in and day-out, they can listen and pick their spirits up.”
Sounds lofty indeed. More concrete are the variety and prominence of the record’s collaborators. Fellow Midwest firespitter Twista scorches lead single “Money,” which features a searing bassline, haunting synthesizer plunkings, and sawing guitar licks alongside Bizzy’s trademark tenor. Elsewhere, Bizzy refers to the title track as “DMX at his finest.” Good Charlotte checks in to broaden the musical palate and buttress Bizzy’s spiritual leanings on “I’m The One”. Femme fatale Trina softens “That Good” which, says Bizzy, accommodates both “the ladies and the brothers who need that tender loving care from a woman next to them.” And “Thug Till I Die” with Jim Jones unfurls as naturally as “two blood brothers on a track doing something really good.”
Perhaps most revealing, however, is “Muddy Waters.” “I’m introverted,” notes Bizzy. “I spend a lot of time exploring my own thoughts and trying to find something good out of whatever’s going on. I try to see beauty, not negativity.” That’s an admirable aim, especially in this age of me-first mandates, controversy, and vitriol at every turn. And in light of the ugliness branded into Bizzy’s childhood memories, this altruism stands out as even more striking. But the harshness he’s surmounted also gives Bizzy a unique, matter-of-fact insight into life’s most trying moments. “‘Muddy Waters’ is about something you have to deal with because that’s the just way it is; you have to gird yourself as best you can during these difficult situations,” he stresses. “It’s meant to uplift, knowing other people out there are going through similar things. We talk about people dying of AIDS, soldiers going off to war, all things that can weaken people and families.”
All that, and more, sums up Bizzy Bone 2007. Despite a host of laurels to his name—a Grammy Award, an ASCAP Award, a Blockbuster award, the Michael Jackson Soul Train Award, an American Music Award, and an NAACP Award—Bizzy Bone never lost sight of his intents as an artist, and as a man. He stands as an example, all things to all people. The American success story. When asked how’s he’s preparing for the release of A Song For You, he cycles through hard work, perseverance, marketing and promotion, going on the road, planning an overseas tour, writing a new book to follow the album. Anything else? “Oh yeah, making sure my hair’s growing back.”
