Themusic.com recently interviewed Wish Bone about a number of topics, which you can read below:
Fans can expect “a little old, a little new” at Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s upcoming shows. Cyclone clocks in with OG member Wish.
Are Bone Thugs-N-Harmony the ABBA of hip hop? Indeed, Australians have adopted the Cleveland, Ohio group – Krayzie, Wish, Layzie, Bizzy and fifth ‘Bone’ Flesh-N-Bone – who pioneered sing-rapping, or ghetto doo-wop, at trippy speeds.
Wish (aka Charles Scruggs) has his own theory as to why the posse are so popular in this, their “second home”. “Australia has a lotta history of a lotta good things and a lotta struggle, so that’s depicted in our music very deeply,” he drawls. “I think they just relate to us because we make real music from the heart.” BTNH may (again) have five members, but it’ll be just Scruggs and Krayzie (Anthony Henderson) repping down under. Tricky? “We have a lotta material,” Scruggs assures. “We just make it do what it do. We get a lotta energy from the crowd, we bring a lotta hits, and we mix it up with a little old, a little new. We just get up and we have a good time.” Scruggs, today covering for Henderson, occasionally sounds hurried, and his answers are succinct, but he’s ready for the interview call when many a hip hop star blows out.
BTNH released an album independently before signing to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records. They’d perfect their harmonic, if hermetic, gangsta rapping on 1994’s EP Creepin On Ah Come Up, produced by DJ U-Neek – the architect of their classic gothic backing. Soon after, Eazy-E died from AIDS-related pneumonia. BTNH dedicated their multi-platinum LP E 1999 Eternal to him, Tha Crossroads their biggest hit and a Grammy winner. Later, Look Into My Eyes found its way onto the Batman & Robin soundtrack.
Nevertheless, trouble ensued as BTNH battled Ruthless’ new regime. Flesh (Layzie’s brother) was jailed. Bizzy was finally ejected due to allegedly erratic behaviour. The remaining trio mounted a convincing commercial comeback via Swizz Beatz’s Full Surface with 2007’s Strength & Loyalty – their old Ruthless labelmate will.i.am also involved. All five Bones contributed to Uni-5: The World’s Enemy, only for Henderson and Scruggs to quit last year, intent on developing their The Life Entertainment. BTNH then recently reunited to headline the elite US touring festival Rock The Bells (Wu-Tang Clan regrouped for the first). “It was like any other show with all five – it was wild, crazy, a lotta energy,” Scruggs enthuses. “It was fun.”
BTNH plan a new album, The Art Of War III, to belatedly mark their 20th anniversary. Scruggs confirms that, yes, the whole quintet will participate, ensuring it’s “a true Bone album”. “We’re about to start it. We’re just basically right now doing how we do – getting back in the groove of each other and smokin’ out with each other and things like that. Ideas are just gonna come.” BTNH have indicated that it’ll be their farewell album. Surely not now? “Time will tell,” Scruggs responds. “We never know what God has in store for us… But me myself, I would definitely hope that would be the case.”
Drake especially is indebted to BTNH for his sing/rap technique. Asked if BTNH would collaborate with the Canadian illwaver, Scruggs is non-committal. “We’re jacks of all trades. We’re definitely open to do songs with a lotta people, as we have done in the past – like Mariah Carey. We did a song with Phil Collins [Home]. We did a song with Akon [I Tried]. And all three of those people are in different types of music.”
Yet BTNH’s influence transcends urban into witch house and Grimes’ experimental electronica (she digs their spooky duet Breakdown with Carey). “We love that a lotta people feel our music and get inspiration and creativity from it, so we look at that like a gift.” Scruggs acknowledges that hip hop has mutated since BTNH’s formation. “It’s different, you know – everything changes.” But he’s grateful to still be in the game – BTNH, Scruggs feels, are widely recognised and “relevant”. And BTNH have even checked out some skip hop, Scruggs teases. “We’ve heard tonnes of Australian hip hop! We’ve actually been in the studio over there doing work and maybe a collaboration or two.”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will be playing the following shows:
Sunday 16 September – Waves Nightclub, Wollongong NSW
Tuesday 18 September – HQ Complex, Adelaide SA
Wednesday 19 September – Club Taree, Taree NSW
Thursday 20 September – Espy, Melbourne VIC
Friday 21 September – UC Refectory, Canberra ACT
Saturday 22 September – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW
Sunday 23 September – The Venue, Townsville QLD
Tuesday 25 September – Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2012/09/12/bone-thugs-n-harmony-wish/8449/
