Words By Patrick M.

Bizzy Bone & Layzie Bone Present Bone Brothers III

I owe Bone Thugs.

East 1999 Eternal was one of the records that got me into hip-hop and remains a personal favorite more than a decade later. And while they’ve made some noise since then, I’ve shied away from their full length projects and solo joints. And shame on me, I owe them the opportunity to show that they still have the fire and stylistic vision.

After listening to Bone Brothers III, the latest offering from Layzie and Bizzy, I considered all debts paid in full. The group has fallen hard. Only the second track on the album, “Double U,” comes in that classic Bone style with the right blend of dark production and melodic rapping. The rest is a train wreck.

The album is full of egregious missteps and biting of others’ ideas. “Cash Money,” is a too obvious attempt at “Notorious Thugs 2/Three Bricks 2″ that recycles a Biggie verse. But a mediocre beat and the duo’s deterioration as rappers over the last decade make the result border on blasphemy. “Momma” suffers from some terrible falsetto whining on the chorus that causes snickers when the listener’s not cringing at Layzie referring to his Mom as his “OG.”

First and foremost amongst the album’s lyrical themes is the duo’s allegiance to Jesus Christ. Strong statements of faith, in rap or any other form of art, often alienate the listener rather than inspire. I can’t comment on the duo’s personal relationship with God. But I can say that singing the praises in uncreative methods doesn’t make for entertaining music. Equally confusing (and borderline hypocritical) is having this recurring theme alongside songs centering around hustling and murder, and expressing those sentiments in the same song or verse.

But a great artist, showing dedication to his or her craft, can transcend such hypocrisies by using the song to showcase personal struggle, or explain a personal relationship (See: “Jesus Walks.”) Bizzy and Layzie, on other hand, are more interested in banging you over the head with their faith than winning your heart. Lack of creativity plagues the album, leading to weak tracks based on blasé metaphors like “Rollercoaster.” Bone’s choruses, which were always one of their strongest attributes, have deteriorated into swill such as “If you want to get paid/you’d better bust your ass,” and the trite & poorly delivered “If you don’t stand up for something/you could fall pray to anything/Look nigga I’m a product of society/and the Lord blessed me with plenty game.

Bone’s lyrics were never the deepest, but on songs like “Thug In Your Life,” Bizzy crosses the line from rapid fire to insane babbling. And when Layzie starts droppin’ lines like “I’m the real Soulja Boy/I don’t dance, I boogie,” it’s time to pretend this album never happened and pop in Creepin on ah Come Up.

Bizzy Bone & Layzie Bone Presents Bone Brothers III (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 4 Life)

1.5 CIGARETTES


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