The Art of War (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album)

Last updated
The Art of War
BTNHAOW.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 29, 1997
Recorded1996–1997
StudioU-Neek's Workshop (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length121:14
Label
Producer
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony chronology
E. 1999 Eternal
(1995)
The Art of War
(1997)
Collection Volume One & Two
(1998/2000)
Singles from The Art of War
  1. "Look Into My Eyes"
    Released: May 2, 1997
  2. "If I Could Teach the World"
    Released: October 7, 1997

The Art of War is the third studio album by hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony which was released on July 29, 1997. The album sold 394,000 units in its first week of release. The album was certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA in June 1998. It was the first double-album from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album included the platinum-single "Look into My Eyes", and the gold-single "If I Could Teach the World". The whole album is produced by DJ U-Neek.

Contents

A sequel to the album, The Art of War: World War III , was released on December 10, 2013.

Background

The album was rumored to be called "DNA Level C" which is Cleveland backwards. "The Art of War" was created largely as a response to rappers deemed "Clones" (copycats) by the group. Such rappers included Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, Twista & The Speedknots & Three 6 Mafia.

In the wake of his father's death and Tomica Wright now heading Ruthless, Bizzy Bone was not happy, and thus did not appear for many shows or promotions. Now calling the shots, many tracks were altered by Tomica Wright, attempting to head the group into a new direction. Such tracks include Thug Luv with Sylk-E. Fyne, If I Could Teach the World, Friends, Ready 4 War, Handle The Vibe with Flesh-n-Bone and many others. While the group appeared at Sprite Nite on BET, Keenan Ivory Wayans (with Bizzy), and several other promotions, their tour began to lag without Bizzy.

Music and lyrics

In "Ready 4 War," Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (along with Maje$ty) called out Crucial Conflict directly by name, with Maje$ty even stating, "I'll watch you ride the rodeo straight to the bottom". The tracks "Handle The Vibe," "Look Into My Eyes," "Body Rott," "Ready 4 War," "Hatin' Nation," Wasteland Warriors," "All Original," "Whom Die They Lie" and "U Ain't Bone" can all be considered as diss tracks.[ citation needed ]

They also changed the name of "Friends" for the cassette version to "How Many of Us Have Them". 2Pac wrote his verse for "Thug Luv" in 1 minute and 51 seconds as confirmed by Bizzy Bone.[ citation needed ]

Singles

The first single for this album was "Look Into My Eyes", which was also on the Batman & Robin soundtrack. Music videos were created for the aforementioned song, as well as "If I Could Teach The World", however, Bizzy Bone appeared in neither video despite being featured on both tracks. "Thug Luv" and "Body Rott" were also released to radio as singles.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Source 4/5

The Art of War received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with some critics calling the album sonically superior to its predecessor, E. 1999 Eternal. While others criticizing the album for its length, including extended disses towards other rappers, leading to repetitive song play. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said, "While the group is capable of producing a catchy single, they don't have the personality to sustain an album, much less a double-disc set. By the end of the second disc, they have repeated all of their ideas at least five times apiece, and only a few of those ideas resulted in actual songs in the first place." [4] J.D. Considine of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B" rating, stating, "Lest the smooth sound of 'Look Into My Eyes' leaves you thinking the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are really just pop-friendly softies, this 28-song double disc, The Art of War, offsets its slow-and-sweet numbers with bloodthirsty workouts like the shotgun-spiked 'Thug Luv'. But after two hours of these singsong melodies, War seems more like a siege than a surgical strike." [5] Rolling Stone gave the album three and a half stars out of a possible five. [3] Krayzie Bone said in a 2015 interview with HipHopDX that The Art of War was Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's best album, even better than E. 1999 Eternal. Comparing to Eternal, whose songs he claimed were planned and written years before they were recorded, where in contrast The Art of War consisted entirely of newer material that he and the other group members had sat in the studio to create. The response to these statements from mainstream media and fans has been evenly divided. Rapper Wiz Khalifa included the album in his list of "25 Favorite Albums" for Complex.

Track listing

All tracks produced by DJ U-Neek

World War 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Retaliation (Intro)" Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, DJ U-Neek 2:21
2."Handle The Vibe"Antoinette Colandreo, BTNH, U-Neek4:40
3."Look into My Eyes"BTNH, U-Neek4:19
4."Body Rott"BTNH, U-Neek5:01
5."It's All Mo' Thug"BTNH, U-Neek5:12
6."Ready 4 War" (featuring Maje$ty)Maje$ty, Marilyn McLeod, Pam Sawyer, BTNH, U-Neek,Cedric Feaster jr.4:36
7."Ain't Nothin' Changed (Everyday Thang Part II)"Barry J. Eastmond, BTNH, U-Neek4:43
8."Clog Up Yo Mind"BTNH, U-Neek5:01
9."It's All Real" (performed by Krayzie Bone) Krayzie Bone, BTNH, U-Neek5:08
10."Hard Times (Skit)"BTNH, U-Neek2:49
11."Mind of a Souljah" (performed by Layzie Bone) Layzie Bone, BTNH, U-Neek4:39
12."If I Could Teach the World"BTNH, U-Neek4:24
13."Family Tree"K. McCord, BTNH, U-Neek5:49
World War 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mo' Thug (Skit)"BTNH, U-Neek1:40
2."Thug Luv" (featuring 2Pac)2Pac, BTNH, U-Neek5:08
3."Hatin' Nation"BTNH, U-Neek5:12
4."7 Sign" (performed by Bizzy Bone, featuring Maje$ty) Bizzy Bone, BTNH, U-Neek, Cedric Feaster Jr.4:48
5."Wasteland Warriors" (featuring Souljah Boy)Souljah Boy, BTNH, U-Neek4:28
6."Neighborhood Slang (Skit)"BTNH, U-Neek1:29
7."U Ain't Bone" (performed by Wish Bone, featuring Tre)BTNH5:04
8."Get Cha Thug On" Wish Bone, U-Neek4:02
9."All Original"BTNH, U-Neek4:58
10."Blaze It (Skit)" Larry Blackmon, BTNH, U-Neek2:08
11."Let The Law End"BTNH, U-Neek3:36
12."Whom Die They Lie"BTNH, U-Neek4:24
13."How Many of Us Have Them (Friends)"BTNH, U-Neek5:10
14."Evil Paradise" Tim Stahl, BTNH, U-Neek4:48
15."Mo' Thug Family Tree (featuring Mo Thugs Family)"BTNH, U-Neek5:37
Sample credits

World War 1

World War 2

All samples here are as listed on the Art of War booklet.

Appearances

The vinyl release omits the tracks 1, 6 and 12 on WW2.

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [20] Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA) [21] 4× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>E. 1999 Eternal</i> 1995 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

E. 1999 Eternal is the second studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, released July 25, 1995, on Ruthless Records. The album was released four months after the death of rapper Eazy-E, the group's mentor and the executive producer of the album. Both the album and single "Tha Crossroads" are dedicated to him. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone", it became a popular album and received positive reviews from music critics, earning praise for the group's melodic rapping style. The album title is a portmanteau of Cleveland's eastside neighborhood centering on East 99th Street and St. Clair Avenue where the group is based and the then-future year 1999.

<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.

<i>Heavenz Movie</i> 1998 studio album by Bizzy Bone

Heaven'z Movie is the first solo studio album by American rapper Bizzy Bone. It was released on October 6, 1998, via Ruthless/Relativity Records. Recording sessions took place at Ocean Way and at Groove Mine in Nashville, and at Music Grinder and at Studio 56 in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Bizzy Bone himself under his B.B. Gambini alias together with Mike Smoov, Johnny "J", Mafisto, Erik Nordquist, Cat Cody, Nina and Mike Johnson. It features guest appearances from Cat Cody, H.I.T.L.A.H. Capo-Confuscious and Mr. Majesty. The album reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States, selling 130,000 units in its first week. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America a month after its release date. The album is dedicated to the memory of Byron "Big B" Carlos McCane.

<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. It reached Platinum status within a month, but sales declined afterwards. 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 for 10 years because he was convicted 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>Thug World Order</i> 2002 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Thug World Order is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, released on October 29, 2002, and the group's final album for Ruthless Records. Singles released were "Money, Money", "Get Up & Get It", and "Home" featuring Phil Collins, which charted in the UK.

<i>Thug Mentality 1999</i> 1999 studio album by Krayzie Bone

Thug Mentality 1999 is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Krayzie Bone. It was released April 6, 1999, on Ruthless Records, Relativity Records and Mo Thugs Records.

<i>Strength & Loyalty</i> 2007 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Look into My Eyes (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony song)</span> 1997 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

"Look into My Eyes" is a song performed by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, written by members Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone, Anthony Eugene Cowan, and producer Tim "DJ U-Neek" Middleton. It was released on June 3, 1997, via Ruthless and Relativity Records as the third single from Music from and Inspired by the "Batman & Robin" Motion Picture and lead single from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's third studio album The Art of War. Recording sessions took place at Studio Cat and at U-Neeks Workshop in Los Angeles.

<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">If I Could Teach the World</span> 1997 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

"If I Could Teach the World" is a hip-hop single released in 1997 by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It appeared on their album The Art of War and reached number 20 on the U.S. Hot 100. The group also won an AMA for best hip-hop artist for this song.

<i>Family Scriptures</i> 1996 studio album by Mo Thugs

Family Scriptures is the debut studio album by American hip hop collective Mo Thugs. It was released on November 5, 1996 via Mo Thugs/Relativity Records. Recording sessions took place at Private Island Trax in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Krayzie Bone, who also served as executive producer together with Layzie Bone, Archie Blaine, Bobby Jones and Paul "Tombstone" O'Neil, with co-producers Gates and Sin. It features contributions from Flesh-n-Bone, II Tru, Ken Dawg, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Poetic Hustla'z, Souljah Boy, The Graveyard Shift, and Tré.

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

<i>Batman & Robin</i> (soundtrack)

Batman & Robin: Music from and Inspired by the "Batman & Robin" Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to the motion picture Batman & Robin (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony song)</span> 2003 single by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Phil Collins

"Home" is a song by rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released as the third single from their album Thug World Order. The song features samples from British singer Phil Collins' song "Take Me Home".

<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, Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records. The mixtape, The Fixtape Vol. 3: Special Delivery features cuts from this album.

<i>The Great White Hype</i> (soundtrack) 1996 soundtrack album by various artists

Music from the Motion Picture: The Great White Hype is the soundtrack to Reginald Hudlin's 1996 film The Great White Hype. It was released in April 1996 through Epic Soundtrax, and consists primarily of hip hop music. Composed of thirteen songs, it features appearances by the likes of Ambersunshower, Biz Markie, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Camp Lo, DJ U-Neek, E-40, Insane Clown Posse, Jamie Foxx, Lou Rawls, Marcus Miller, Nyt Owl, Passion, Premier, Rudy Ray Moore, and Wu-Tang Clan members. Production was handled by DJ U-Neek, Marcus Miller, RZA, 4th Disciple, Doug Rasheed, Foster & McElroy, ICP, Jocko, Mike E. Clark, P.M. Dawn, Ski Beatz and Studio Ton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebration (The Game song)</span> 2012 single by Game featuring Chris Brown, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa and Lil Wayne

"Celebration" is a song by American rapper Game featuring fellow American rappers Tyga, Wiz Khalifa, & Lil Wayne and American singer Chris Brown, released as the lead single from the former's fifth studio album Jesus Piece. "Celebration" premiered on Los Angeles' Power 106 on August 22, 2012. The song samples Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's hit single "1st of tha Month", which in return samples the Chapter 8 and Anita Baker song "I Just Want to Be Your Girl".

<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.

<i>Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind</i> 2022 studio album by the Game

Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind is the tenth studio album by American rapper the Game, released on August 12, 2022, by 100 Entertainment and Virgin Music Label & Artist Services. The album was initially scheduled for release on July 8, 2022, but was delayed. The album includes the January 2022 single "Eazy" with Kanye West, the single "Stupid" with Big Sean, in addition to collaborations with Drake, Ice-T, Fivio Foreign, Roddy Ricch, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Moneybagg Yo, ASAP Rocky, Jeremih, Pusha T, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Dreezy, G Herbo, Blxst, French Montana, Tory Lanez, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hussle, Chris Brown, Blueface, Twista, Cam'ron, Chlöe, Cassie, and DJ Khaled across its other 30 tracks, and production from high-profile producers, such as Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Mike Dean and Hit-Boy, among others.

References

  1. Thomas, Stephen (August 5, 1997). "The Art of War - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony". Allmusic. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  2. Considine, J.D. (August 8, 1997). "The Art of War Review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The new Rolling Stone album guide - Nathan Brackett, Christian David Hoard - Google Books. ISBN   9780743201698 . Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Art of War - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  5. Considine, J.D (August 8, 1997). "The Art of War". EW.com.
  6. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  8. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony: The Art of War" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  9. "Lescharts.com – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  11. "Charts.nz – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  12. "Swedishcharts.com – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  13. "Swisscharts.com – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – The Art of War". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  15. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  16. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  17. "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  18. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  19. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  20. "Canadian album certifications – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Art of War". Music Canada.
  21. "American album certifications – Bone Thugs 'N Harmony – The Art of War". Recording Industry Association of America.