Strength & Loyalty

Last updated
Strength & Loyalty
Bone Thugs N Harmony Strength&Loyalty.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 8, 2007 (US)
Recorded2006–2007
Genre
Length58:49
Label
Producer
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony chronology
Thug Stories
(2006)
Strength & Loyalty
(2007)
T.H.U.G.S.
(2007)
Singles from Strength & Loyalty
  1. "I Tried"
    Released: February 16, 2007
  2. "Lil Love"
    Released: July 1, 2007
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic (74/100) link
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
AllHipHop Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link at the Wayback Machine (archived May 12, 2007)
DJBoothStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
Entertainment Weekly (B+) link
HHNLiveStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link at the Wayback Machine (archived May 15, 2007)
HipHopDXStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
RapReviewsStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link at the Wayback Machine (archived July 15, 2007)
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
XXL (L) link

Strength & Loyalty, originally titled The Bone Thugs Story, is the seventh studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, released on May 8, 2007. It was Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's first major album after an absence of nearly five years. The album contains guest appearances by Akon, Autumn Rowe, Bow Wow, Felecia, Fleetwood Mac (sampled), Mariah Carey, Swizz Beatz, The Game, Twista, will.i.am, and Yolanda Adams. Producers include Akon, DJ Toomp, Jermaine Dupri, Mally Mall, Neo Da Matrix, Pretty Boy & Bradd Young, Street Radio, Swizz Beatz, The Individuals, Ty Fyffe, and will.i.am. The executive producer of the album was Swizz Beatz. Bizzy Bone was not featured on the album. Then imprisoned member Flesh-n-Bone was only featured on a track entitled "Into The Future" which did not make the album and also due to his incarceration did not make the album cover.

Contents

The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, with 119,000 copies sold. [1] It has since gone on to be certified gold by the RIAA, having sold over 500,000 copies within the US to date. [2] [3]

The first single was "I Tried", which features Akon, and was also produced by him. The single was released on February 16, 2007. On March 7, the video officially debuted on Yahoo! Music, and on March 17, it debuted on BET's 106 & Park . The second single was "Lil Love", which features Bow Wow and Mariah Carey, and was produced by Jermaine Dupri. The single was released in June 2007, while its video was premiered on July 5, on 106 & Park.

Critical reception

Strength & Loyalty received generally positive reviews from music critics, praising the production of the album and Bone's ability to "reinvent themselves with just 3 members." David Jeffries of Allmusic gave the album 3 and a half stars out of a possible 5, stating "This 2007 edition of Bone is missing members Flesh-N-Bone (thanks to incarceration) and Bizzy Bone (thanks to him being Bizzy Bone) and it shows. As a trio Krayzie, Layzie, and distant third Wish are a solid crew, able to deliver good weekend numbers like "Bump in the Trunk," "Lil Love," and "C-Town" (they never forget Cleveland) along with polished gangsta tracks like "I Tried." In the big picture, Bizzy and Flesh are missed, but what's remarkable about Strength & Loyalty is how it makes the listener forget they're missing while in the moment. Numerous melodious hooks in the easy-rolling Bone tradition fog the memory, and guest stars are brought in at just the right moments. Mariah speaks to the commercial possibilities Bone always had, while the Game speaks to how they seemed to never leave the streets. Every song is at least solid and the album flows very well, making it one of the better-built efforts from the house of Bone in nearly a decade. Problem is, this album could have twice the star power and it wouldn't make up for how important Bizzy's strange voice was for the overall chemistry. Strength & Loyalty doesn't overcome its challenges; it just sidesteps them and works hard to reward fans for a decade of patience. It's as good as it can be, and better than expected." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly of gave the album a "B+", stating "These Midwestern-rap pioneers sound more focused than they have in a decade. Much of the credit for the revitalized sound on their seventh LP, Strength & Harmony belongs to producers like Swizz Beatz, will.i.am, and Akon, who deftly flip samples from sources as disparate as Bobby Womack and Fleetwood Mac. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s lyrics, too, are impressively crafted, tempering rough bluster with humble spirituality and calling to mind their classic mid-’90s hits — a pleasant surprise after years of diminishing returns." Decades-long Bone heads need not worry about total change, though. On the Neo Da Matrix–tracked gem “C-Town,” fellow spitfire Twista tag teams with the crew atop an airy bed of whistles and sonic hypnosis. The strongest moment of seamless old meets new comes on the head-spinning “Flowmotion,” a remake of a cut from their 1993 indie project Faces of Death. Backed by newcomers the Individuals’ intense strings, all three members’ flows reach new levels of velocity, especially Krayzie's: “I’m coming at you with a sound like thunder, strike like lightning/Hit them and they wonder where these thuggish ruggish niggas came from.”

Matt Baron of XXL (magazine) gave the a "L" (Large) rating, stating "Don’t call it a complete comeback, however. While Krayzie and Layzie show and prove, Wish’s inferior skills frequently emerge as well. Take his infantile wordplay on the Jermaine Dupri–produced radio shot “Little Love” (“Not trying to say that you’re about that paper/But me and you, yes, we’re about that paper”), which makes guest Bow Wow sound superlyrical. Further downgrading the album are scattered, drowsy soundtrack lapses (DJ Toomp's bland bass guitars on “Sounds the Same,” for example) and stunted creativity (the “been there, shot that” murder taunts of “9mm”). Through attempts at experimentation, such as the Fleetwood Mac–sampling rock/rap hybrid “Listen to the Wind Blow,” Bone clearly display a hunger for relevance. And as evidenced by the solemn “Crossroads”-comparable single “I Tried,” their knack for genreless harmonies is still intact. Yet, with the final product sounding slightly uneven, some fine-tuning would have done these Bones good."

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Flowmotion"The Individualz3:09
2."Bump in the Trunk" (featuring Swizz Beatz)
The Individualz4:25
3."Wind Blow"
  • Pretty Boy
  • Bradd Young
4:18
4."I Tried" (featuring Akon)
4:47
5."Lil' Love" (featuring Mariah Carey & Bow Wow)3:52
6."C-Town" (featuring Twista)
Neo da Matrix 5:05
7."Order My Steps (Dear Lord)" (featuring Yolanda Adams)
  • Howse
  • Scruggs
  • Henderson
  • Watson
  • Ray
  • Glenn Burleigh
  • Pretty Boy
  • Bradd Young
3:57
8."Streets" (featuring The Game & will.i.am) will.i.am 4:21
9."9mm"
  • Howse
  • Scruggs
  • Henderson
  • Jesse Mathews
  • Kendred Smith
Street Radio4:43
10."Gun Blast"
Ty Fyffe 3:37
11."Candy Paint" (featuring Swizz Beatz & Autumn Rowe)
  • Howse
  • Scruggs
  • Henderson
  • Dean
Swizz Beatz3:45
12."So Good So Right" (featuring Felecia)
Mally Mall3:35
13."Sounds the Same"
DJ Toomp 4:25
14."Never Forget Me" (featuring Akon)
  • Howse
  • Scruggs
  • Henderson
  • Tuinfort
  • Thiam
  • Akon
  • Giorgio Tuinfort (co.)
4:46
Best Buy Bonus Track
No.TitleProducerLength
15."Just Vibe"Pretty Boy4:24
iTunes Bonus Track
No.TitleProducerLength
16."Bump In The Trunk (Remix)"
  • Swizz Beatz
  • The Individualz
4:12

Samples

#TitleSamples
1."Flowmotion""Sky High" by Jigsaw
3."Wind Blow""The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac
6."C-Town""Trust in Me" by Lenny Williams
8."Streets""Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack
10."Gun Blast""Living a Lie" by Cam'ron
12."So Good So Right""So Good So Right" by Brenda Russell
15."Just Vibe" (Best Buy Bonus track)"Why Have I Lost You" by Cameo

Unreleased songs

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [10] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

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

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American hip hop group composed of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. Formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio, the group signed to fellow American rapper Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in late 1993, on which they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up the next year. The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". In 1995, the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999". Their hit song "Tha Crossroads", a tribute to then-recently deceased mentor Eazy-E, won a Grammy Award in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Layzie Bone</span> American rapper

Steven Howse, known professionally as Layzie Bone, is a rapper known primarily for being a member of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He has also gone by the names L-Burna, Lil Lay, and The #1 Assassin. He is the younger brother of fellow group member Flesh-N-Bone and cousin of group member Wish Bone. Layzie is also a member of the rap group Bone Brothers and CEO of the record label Harmony Howse Entertainment.

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

Creepin on ah Come Up is the debut EP by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album was released on June 21, 1994, on Ruthless Records. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

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

BTNHResurrection is the fourth studio album by hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album was released on February 29, 2000, on Ruthless. Sold 280,500 copies in its 1st week of charting on the billboard 200, it reached Platinum status within a month. Flesh-n-Bone was heavily featured on this album, appearing in 14 of the 15 tracks which was rarely seen on previous albums due to him not being signed to Ruthless with the rest of the group. This was Flesh-n-Bone's last appearance on a Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album until 2010 due to his conviction for assault with a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon in June 2000. Pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and was released in July 2008, re-appearing on the group's album as a performer on Uni5: The World's Enemy in 2010 unlike his appearance on the last track A Thug Soldier Conversation with DJ Uneek on the Thug World Order album when Flesh was incarcerated.

<i>Bone Brothers</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Bone Brothers

Bone Brothers is the self-titled debut studio album by American hip hop duo Bone Brothers, composed of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone. It was released on February 22, 2005 via Koch Records. Production was handled by Dwayne "Deenucka" Johnson, Self and Mauly T, with Bizzy Bone, Steve Lobel and Layzie Bone serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Kareem, Outlawz, Treach, and several Mo Thugs members, such as Krayzie Bone, Felicia, Skant Bone, Stew Bone and Wish Bone. The album saw its release after the dismissal of Bizzy Bone from the group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spit Your Game</span> 2006 single by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Twista, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and 8Ball & MJG

"Spit Your Game" is the second single by Notorious B.I.G. from his Duets: The Final Chapter album, a remixed album of Biggie Smalls' work. The song features guest appearances from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's Krayzie Bone and Twista and sampled The Walker Brothers' "My Ship Is Coming In" from their Take It Easy with the Walker Brothers album. The single is a double A-side with "Hold Ya Head", a song which samples "Johnny Was" from Bob Marley's Rastaman Vibration album by his reggae band The Wailers and "Suicidal Thoughts" from Biggie's Ready to Die for his vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thuggish Ruggish Bone</span> 1994 single by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony featuring Shatasha Williams

"Thuggish Ruggish Bone" is the debut single by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, from their debut EP Creepin on ah Come Up. It features Louisiana-born singer Shatasha Williams. The song reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included in the soundtrack of the video game True Crime: Streets of LA; and the second half of Layzie Bone's verse was reused on the track "Family Scriptures" on the Mo Thugs Family debut album, Family Scriptures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East 1999</span> 1995 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

"East 1999" is Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's second single released in 1995 from their album E. 1999 Eternal. This is one of five songs on the album to feature member Flesh-n-Bone who wasn't signed to Ruthless with the rest of the group.

<i>Thug Stories</i> 2006 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Thug Stories is the sixth studio album by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, released September 19, 2006 on Koch Records. It marked the first time Bone recorded as a trio for a full album, as Bizzy Bone was still ejected from the group. Upon release, the album sold 40,000 units in its first week, eventually peaking at number 25 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Independent Album Charts. Thug Stories was the group's first major label LP length release since 2002's Thug World Order Ruthless Records. As of April 11, 2007, it has sold 92,465 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Tried</span> 2007 single by Single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Akon

"I Tried" (also known as "I Tried (So Hard)") is a song recorded by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, released in February 2007 as the lead single from their album Strength & Loyalty. This particular song features Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone. The song features and was produced by Akon; Giorgio Tuinfort assisted the artists in writing the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil' L.O.V.E.</span> 2007 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Mariah Carey & Bow Wow

"Lil L.O.V.E." is a song by hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony for their studio album Strength & Loyalty (2007). It features American singer Mariah Carey and rapper Bow Wow and was released as the second single from the album in 2007. The artists co-wrote the song with Shawntae Harris, James Phillips, and Jermaine Dupri; the latter is also the producer. In the chorus, Carey expresses her need for a 'Lil L.O.V.E' and 'T.I.M.E' from her suspected lover. In the United States, "Lil’ L.O.V.E." was released as a digital download on May 8, 2007. The song was officially released as a single in the U.S. on June 5, 2007.

<i>Bone Brothers 2</i> 2007 studio album by Bone Brothers

Bone Brothers 2 is an album the record label put out. It’s a mix of old verses from Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone. It was released via Real Talk Entertainment on May 8, 2007, the same day as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's Strength & Loyalty. Recording sessions took place at the White House with Black Trim. Production was handled by Big Hollis, Vince V., Preach and Derrick "Sac" Johnson, who also served as executive producer. The album debuted at number 122 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling over 7,000 units during its first week. Albums purchased at Best Buy include three bonus Bizzy Bone tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foe tha Love of $</span> 1995 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Eazy-E

"Foe tha Love of $" is the second single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, featuring Eazy-E, from their debut EP, Creepin on ah Come Up. The song was produced by DJ Yella and executive produced by Eazy-E. "Foe tha Love of $" was a huge success for the group, making it to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, #37 on the Rhythmic Top 40 and #4 on the Hot Rap Singles. The music video is notable for being Eazy-E's last appearance in a music video before his death. The song was included in the soundtrack of the video game True Crime: Streets of LA, along with "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". DJ Screw has also remixed it on the 1996 mix "Chapter 24 - 9 Months Later".

This is the discography of American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

<i>T.H.U.G.S.</i> (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album) 2007 compilation album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

T.H.U.G.S. is a compilation album by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It was released in 2007 by Ruthless Records. It debuted on the Billboard US 200 at no.73, selling 15,000 in its first week.

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

Bone Brothers is an American hip-hop duo composed of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony members Layzie Bone and Bizzy Bone. The first Bone Brothers album was released in 2005. Bizzy Bone had parted ways from the group in 2003 over personal differences and business decisions. Bizzy Bone had always remained friendly with the group and collaborated on songs such as Lil Eazy's This Ain't A Game and Krayzie Bone's Getchu Twisted Remix. The Bone Brother's track Hip-Hop Baby contains four of the five members in the music video. In 2009 the whole group came together to record tracks for Uni5: The World's Enemy during the wake of Flesh-n-Bone's return from prison. Bone Brothers is an album series and not a name for Layzie Bone and Bizzy Bone collaboration albums. Albums like Still Creepin On Ah Come Up are excluded from the series. It is also conceivable of any pair or more Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members making a Bone Brothers album in the future.

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.

<i>Uni5: The Worlds Enemy</i> 2010 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

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. The mixtape, The Fixtape Vol. 3: Special Delivery features cuts from this album.

<i>The Art of War: World War III</i> 2013 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

The Art of War: World War III is the ninth studio album by hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It was released on December 10, 2013, on Seven Arts Music and BTNH Worldwide. The album serves as the sequel to their quadruple platinum double album, The Art of War.

<i>New Waves</i> 2017 studio album by Bone Thugs

New Waves is the tenth studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs. It was released on June 23, 2017, by Entertainment One Music. The album only consists of 2 out of 5 members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album features a large selection of guest appearances, including Stephen Marley, Tank, Jesse Rankins, Kaci Brown, Jazze Pha, the other Bone members, Jonathan Davis from nu metal band Korn, Bun B, Uncle Murda, Yelawolf, IYAZ, Eric Bellinger and more.

References

  1. "Buble Takes Down Bone Thugs In Mother's Day Chart Melee". MTV . Archived from the original on May 18, 2007.
  2. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - BONE THUGS 'N HARMONY". Recording Industry Association of America .
  3. "Upcoming Releases". HitsDailyDouble. Hits Daily Double. January 12, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  4. Strength & Loyalty (booklet). Full Surface, Interscope. 2007.
  5. "Charts.nz – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Strength & Loyalty". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  6. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  7. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  8. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  9. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  10. "American album certifications – Bone Thugs 'N Harmony – Strength & Loyalty". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 11 November 2023.