Bone Thugs-N-Harmony haven’t existed as a group for the entirety of hip-hop’s 50-year history, but as far as rap acts that are still on tour, the Cleveland, Ohio-based quartet (formerly a quintet) is about as seasoned as they’ve come.
The lyrical collective currently comprised of Flesh-n-Bone, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone has been celebrating 30 years since its recorded debut, and brought that commemorative tour to The Novo at L.A. Live in fitting fashion in early March.
Any visit from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (BTNH) to Los Angeles brings with it a deep sense of sentiment and nostalgia. In 1993, the group spent four months in town searching for the late rapper Eazy-E, for whom they had auditioned over the phone in pursuit of a record deal. Though BTNH weren’t able to track down the artist born Eric Wright at that point, they did ultimately sign with his Ruthless Records label. The “Godfather of Gangsta Rap” helped to launch them into the hip-hop stratosphere, with four albums going gold and three reaching platinum status. From there, BTNH went on to work with just about every rap luminary from the ‘90s, including separate collaborations with Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. at the height of the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry.
That BTNH made it to their 30th anniversary tour at all is something of a miracle. Beyond Bizzy Bone’s absence from the performing lineup, Krayzie spent the latter part of 2023 recovering from a lung condition that landed him in the hospital and nearly cost him his life. Fortunately for the group and its legions of fans in L.A., Krayzie was ready in time for BTNH’s raucous evening at The Novo.
The initial hours of the event featured a slew of artists from BTNH’s own imprint, Mo Thugs Records, along with their counterparts from Ruthless Records and Death Row Records. The likes of Kurupt, Sakoya Wynter, Position, and Yukmouth—along with some of the Bone Thugs’ own kids—got the crowd more than warmed up for the main event.
The foursome from Cleveland picked up that baton and ran with it. After stepping out with “Mo’murda” and “Body Rott”, they dove right into the heart of their hit-filled catalog with “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “East 1999”. They then dropped in “Everything 100″, their 2013 track with Ty Dolla $ign, before getting back to their ‘90s roots with “1st of Tha Month”.
Flesh took center stage to carry BTNH through “Resurrection (Paper, Paper)” and “Stay Dangerous” and drew support from Layzie during a rendition of Benzo’s “PRESSURE”. The full touring lineup returned to the stage from there for “No Surrender” as a lead-in to a series of homages to BTNH’s influences and collaborators past. First, they paid their respects to Eazy-E with a trio of tracks that he either guested on or produced outright: “Sleepwalkers,” “Boyz-n-the-Hood” and “Foe That Love of $”. They followed those up with a cover of Biggie’s “Juicy” and “Notorious Thugs”, the latter of which featured BTNH on the former’s acclaimed 1997 album Life After Death. The group then transitioned into a pair of songs honoring 2Pac with “California Love” and “Thug Luv”.
After a brief medley blending the Styles P hook from “I Get High” and a bit of “5 on It” with support from Yukmouth, BTNH dug back into their own repertoire to drop “Weed Song” and “Family Tree”. Naturally, Flesh, Krayzie, Layzie, and Wish closed out the night with “Tha Crossroads”, their smash hit from 1996 that paid tribute to Eazy-E after their mentor succumbed to illness related to HIV/AIDS.
For anyone who regrets missing Bone Thugs-N-Harmony during their recent stop in Los Angeles: never fear. The crew will continue their 30-year celebration in nearby Montclair and Oxnard this month, with dates in Ontario and Beverly Hills slated for May.
And for those outside of California, be sure to catch BTNH in the spring when they roll through Las Vegas, Red Rocks in Colorado (with Ice Cube and The Game) and Knoxville, Tennessee (with Nelly and Ashanti) before a Midwestern swing through Michigan, Indiana and Illinois come June. For a full list of upcoming Bone Thugs-N-Harmony tour dates, head here.
Below, view a gallery of photos from the 3/3/24 Los Angeles show via Josh Martin.
