Uni5: The World's Enemy

Last updated
Uni5: The World's Enemy
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Uni5 The World's Enemy.png
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 4, 2010
Recorded2008–10
Genre
Length58:07
Label
Producer
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony chronology
T.H.U.G.S.
(2007)
Uni5: The World's Enemy
(2010)
Thuggish II
(2010)
Singles from Uni5: The World's Enemy
  1. "See Me Shine"
    Released: October 20, 2009 [1]
  2. "Rebirth"
    Released: February 15, 2010 [2]
  3. "Meet Me in the Sky"
    Released: March 22, 2010 [3]
  4. "Gone"
    Released: April 13, 2010 [4]

Uni5: The World's Enemy is the eighth studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released on May 4, 2010, on BTNH Worldwide, Asylum Records and Reprise Records. [5] The mixtape, The Fixtape Vol. 3: Special Delivery features cuts from this album.

Contents

Singles

The first single, "See Me Shine", featuring Lyfe Jennings, was produced and co-written by Excel Beats who was also the original creator of the song which was created in 2005. It was released by Bone on October 20, 2009. The second single from the album was "Rebirth", featuring Thin C, released on February 15, 2010. [2] The song was produced by Pooh Bear and King David. [6] The third single, "Meet Me in the Sky", was released on March 22, 2010. [3] "Gangsta's Glory" was released as a free download on the group's official website on January 28, 2010. The song was produced by Matt Velo. [7] The album version of "See Me Shine" is different from the earlier released single version, in that it does not feature Phaedra and Lyfe Jennings. [8]

Background

On July 13, 2008, Flesh-n-Bone was released from prison, welcomed back by the rest of the group together. On November 28, 2008, all five members performed live at an event at Club Nokia in Los Angeles for the first time since Flesh's incarceration. The event was sold out and thousands of fans listened to the group perform memorable songs from several of their albums, including unreleased music. Later that night on the groups MySpace page, a bulletin press release was posted, finally announcing the official release date of their new album project, Uni-5. The album had an initial release date of September 22, 2009 but had been pushed back several months. Layzie confirmed that the album should be out on May 4, 2010. In an exclusive interview on HipHopDX.com, Bizzy Bone was enthusiastic about the new musical style with 10-20 tracks recorded and over 200 tracks already being completed. They have left their label, Interscope Records, to form under a brand new label distributed by Warner Bros. called Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Worldwide, which is where the new album "Uni-5: The World's Enemy" was produced and released.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]
HipHopDXStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
RapReviewsStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg (XL)

Commercial reception

The album sold 30,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted on #14 on the Billboard 200. [12] The album has sold over 90,000 copies [13]

Critical reception

Uni5 received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. XXL Magazine gave it an XL rating, while the allmusic.com gave the album 3+12 stars. HipHopDX also gave Uni5 3+12 stars, stating "If BTNH over a different type of backdrop (thus providing more variety to their catalog) is what a listener was after, then Uni-5 will be satisfying. If someone wants another taste of Creepin on ah Come Up, the group's latest will only feel average in comparison." David Jeffries of Allmusic illustrated in a 3+12-star rated review "With estranged brother Bizzy back in the fold, Uni5: The World's Enemy reunites the original five members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony after 10 years apart, but it’s not a return to form by any stretch of the imagination. This eighth studio effort leans toward radio-friendly numbers and proper grown-man tracks, with the core four members offering life lessons as Bizzy gives his Biblical perspective. The closest they come to the old days is the opening, “Rebirth,” a chugging juggernaut of an anthem that mixes thunderous production with a hook-filled chorus and those quick, whip-snap verses Bone built their name on. Momentum builds as the album’s lyrical highlight “See Me Shine” gives way to the dark, cursed, and Bizzy-less “Only God Can Judge Me,” which features gospel choir singers and demonic voices melting into a truly unsettling production. “Wanna Be” is bland until Bizzy’s grand moment comes while damning the music industry with “I see women given their bodies like David Letterman love you/Strugglin’ and Husslin’, slangin’ tapes on the Internet” then “Sorry I meant to tell you just what just masters do” and exiting on “Only Jesus can make you a star.” His interests are obviously elsewhere as the rest of Bone try to craft a veteran hip-hop album that can crossover, but Bizzy acting as the group’s mystical and mysterious Flavor Flav is an interesting twist, and he lights every track he lands on. Krayzie Bone's contribution is worth mentioning as he turns in a handful of innovative productions, but the prize goes to producer and Mo Thugs associate Thin C and his mellow, smoker’s delight “My Life.” Like so many family reunions the album is a mix of naturally flowing moments and awkward ones, but when it clicks, that Bone magic is, in effect, making this a necessary listen for the faithful."

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Law (Intro)"  DJ U-Neek 1:00
2."Rebirth"
  • Pooh Bear
  • King David
7:15
3."See Me Shine" (featuring Jay Rush)
6:04
4."Only God Can Judge Me"
  • Hutton
  • Krayzie Bone
4:13
5."Wanna Be"
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
  • Desmond "DSP" Powell
Powell5:18
6."My Life"
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
Thin C4:49
7."Everytime"
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
  • Hutton
  • Hutton
  • Krayzie Bone
5:34
8."Fearless (Interlude)"U-NeekU-Neek0:34
9."Gone" (featuring Ricco Barrino)
Fatboi4:29
10."Meet Me in the Sky" (featuring K Young)
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
  • Hutton
  • Hutton
  • Krayzie Bone
5:16
11."Universe"
U-Neek3:44
12."A New Mind = a New Life (Interlude)"U-NeekU-Neek0:44
13."Pay What They Owe"
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
  • Middleton
U-Neek5:26
14."Facts Don't Lie"
  • Howse
  • Henderson
  • Scruggs
  • Howse
  • McCane
  • Middleton
  • A. Green
  • A. Jackson
  • W. Mitchell
U-Neek3:42
iTunes additional tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."My Street Blues"  DJ U-Neek 5:30
16."Vegas"  Machinedrum, Brian Kennedy4:15
17."Interview" (video)  18:00
18."Rebirth" (music video)
  • Pooh Bear
  • Kind David
4:19
19."See Me Shine" (music video)  4:25
20."Meet Me in the Sky" (music video)  5:15
Notes
Sample credits

Samples

Appearances

Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone and Flesh-n-Bone appear on 11 tracks. Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone appear on 8 tracks.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bone Thugs-n-Harmony</span> American hip hop group

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<i>Creepin on ah Come Up</i> 1994 EP by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

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<i>BTNHResurrection</i> 2000 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

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BTNH Worldwide is an independent record label started by hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Composed of Krayzie Bone, Flesh-N-Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone, BTNH Worldwide was created because of freedom of album concept not being handled adequately by previous record labels such as Ruthless Records and Interscope Records. BTNH Worldwide is the home for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and affiliates such as Mo Thugs artist, Mo Thugs West artist and The Life Ent. The new record label has "a brand new platform coming to show what kind of hit-makers they Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are." BTNH Worldwide is a label built to bring the harmonizing sound Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are known for. Without any label politics, they are allowed to expand on their music and make decisions of their own to satisfy the fans. The move to Warner Brothers has not proved fruitful as due to marketing reasons the five members' chosen track list for Uni5: The World's Enemy was later changed to suit the distributor's failed attempt at re-establishing the group in the mainstream.

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<i>A New Breed of Female</i> 1997 studio album by II Tru

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<i>Thug Brothers 2</i> 2017 studio album by Krayzie Bone & Young Noble

Thug Brothers 2 is a collaborative studio album by rappers Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony & Young Noble of Outlawz. It was released on June 16, 2017 on Real Talk Entertainment. The first Thug Brothers album released in 2006, was a collaborative effort by Layzie Bone and Young Noble, but for the sequel, Krayzie Bone picks up where Layzie Bone left off. A sequel album Thug Brothers 3 was released the same year on October 6, 2017.

References

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  2. 1 2 "Rebirth (Explicit Album Version): Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  3. 1 2 "Meet Me In The Sky (Explicit Album Version): Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  4. "iTunes - Music - Gone (feat. Ricco Barrino) - Single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  5. Contributed by Nathan S. Listen to More: Pop, Midwest. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Gone - Listen". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  6. Contributed by richard Listen to More: Street, Midwest. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Rebirth - Listen". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  7. Contributed by Sigurd Listen to More: Street, Midwest. "Bone Thugs-n-Harmony ft. Eazy E - Gangsta's Glory - Listen". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  8. "iTunes - Music - Uni5: The World's Enemy by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  9. Uni5: The World's Enemy at AllMusic
  10. HipHopDX reviews Uni5: The World's Enemy
  11. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony :: Uni5: The World's Enemy :: BTNH Worldwide/Warner Bros". Rapreviews.com. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  12. "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/23/2010". 26 May 2010.
  13. "Upcoming Releases".