Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony pioneered R&B-inflected gangsta soul in the mid-’90s, when ears were busy being tickled by the sweet seduction of G-funk. Fusing hard rap with vocal harmonies, the group scored a 1995 smash with E. 1999 Eternal, then produced diminishing returns afterward. The loss of two prominent members—Bizzy Bone (kicked out) and Flesh-N-Bone (imprisoned on gun charges)—didn’t help. But Flesh-N-Bone is finally out after almost a decade of incarceration, and Bizzy and the rest of the group reconciled—at least for a bit—setting the stage for their eighth studio album, Uni5: The World’s Enemy. The group is now technically split, with Layzie, Bizzy, and Flesh working together, and Krayzie and Wish focusing on their The Life Ent. label. But before the (doubtful) final curtain call, the five members have made amends (again), touring and preparing a final Bone Thugs’ album, due out sometime this year.

Updated 01/25/2012