The 10 Best Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Songs of All-Time
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was formed in 1993, and they are considered as one of the most unique hip-hop acts ever. The group considers Eazy-E, who signed them to ruthless records as their mentor. Although the group’s influence has been weakened by in-fighting, solo projects and numerous prosaic albums, they still remain one of hip hop’s greatest groups of all time. The group members who consider themselves to be tough guys from the streets create music that covers themes such as violence and crime. Here are the top ten Bone Thugs-N-Harmony songs of all time.
10. East 1999
You don’t have to be an old-school hip-hop fan to understand how great the beat to this song is. The number ten song on our list of the top ten Bone Thugs-N-Harmony songs is notably one of the few songs on E. 1999 Eternal to feature Flesh-N-Bone. Due to conflict with the authorities and internal label issues, Flesh-N-Bone only managed to be a bit part member of the group. Despite this, his appearances in the song and in the whole album are quite solid.
9. Mo’ Murda
In 2002, the Missouri Supreme Court found it relevant to play this song to provide insight into Michael Tisius’s mindset when he murdered two jailers in Randolph County. “Mo Murda” is one of the street singles on Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s 1995 album, East 199. Krayzie Bone’s verse is incredible and gives me chills every time I listen to this song.
8. Notorious Thugs
According to Layzie Bone, this song took them five hours to record before Notorious B.I.G went ahead and stole his blunt. The track is contained in Notorious B.I.G’s second studio album, Life After Death. The song had numerous references to the then beef between Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on their side threw a couple of hard-hitting verses directed at Three Six Mafia, Do or Die, and Twista.
7. Homicide
Coming in at number seven on our countdown of the top ten Bone Thugs-N-Harmony songs is the track “Homicide,” which is contained in the group’s 2021 album, Homicide. The verses are so smooth, and the trio complements each other so well in this track. The beat is absolutely amazing, too, and, incredibly, the group can still match modern rappers by releasing some great music.
6. Days of Our Livez
The instrumental for this song is borrowed from the song “Making Love In the Rain” by Herb Alpert and “Tender Love” by Force MDs. The song was released as a soundtrack for the 1996 film, Set It Off and is played in the movie. The song contains a slow melodic tone similar to that of “Crossroads” and is widely considered one of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s classic songs. The song peaked at #20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified gold by the RIAA.
5. Foe Tha Love of $ ft Eazy E
“Foe Tha Love of $” is a song where the group talks about their love for making money, with each verse outlining different methods of making money. The common thing about all the ways that the group outline is that they involve violence from police or haters. The video of the song features Eazy E in what was his last appearance in a music video before his death. The song is used as a soundtrack in the video game TrueCrime: Streets of L.A. The song peaked at number 4 on the US Hot Rap Songs and number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
4. 1st of Tha Month
The number four song on our list of the greatest Bone Thugs-N-Harmony tracks is the twelfth song from their 1995 album, E. 1999 Eternal. The track talks about the celebration times in the ghetto when welfare checks arrive on the first day of the month, and people have a good time with their family and true friends. The song peaked at #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the group’s first top twenty song. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996 and has been certified gold by the RIAA.
3. I Tried ft. Akon
“I tried” is the lead single from the group’s 2007 album, Strength & Loyalty. The song features vocals from Akon and talks about the artists’ struggles in the streets. The song debuted at #82 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number six, making it the group’s highest-charting song in ten years. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA and remains a fan favorite of the group.
2. Thuggish Ruggish Bone
The number two song on our list is the group’s debut single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” which is contained in their debut EP. The song features guest vocals from local Cleveland singer Shatasha Williams. The song’s main themes, as the title suggests, are based on the fact that Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members consider themselves as thugs who are ruggish (rogue). The song’s lyrics really go hard, and Shatash William’s vocals are quite outstanding.
1. Tha Crossroads
The number one song on our list is arguably the group’s most famous track. “The Crossroads” was a dedication to the group’s mentor Eazy E after his passing on. The song had an earlier version, “Crossroads,” that was initially dedicated to Bone’s dead friend Wallace but was later remade to “Tha Crossroads” after Eazy E passed on. At the time of its release, this song was the highest-debuting rap song when it debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number one the following week and stayed there for eight weeks. The song also earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group in 1997.
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