Bone Thugs-n-Harmony back with new album
By Han Sang-hee
Staff reporter
At a time when numerous music groups and soloists come and go continuously on an almost daily basis, sticking to your roots, respecting the fast paced present and bringing something new can be a difficult task. But for hip hop band Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, which started making music in 1991, it wasn’t impossible to realize the true essence of their music.
The five-member group’s new album ``Uni-5: The World’s Enemy’’ was released last April and they once again proved that, despite the ups and downs during their 19-year musical journey, it was music that glued them together with their fans.
``Basically, we create music `Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’-style. We have new listeners, but we still have the old listeners, so we continue doing what we have been doing but to a different beat. We are still talking about the same struggle. We are always going to keep it really authentic,’’ Big Sloan, a hip hop artist who collaborated with the band for the album, told The Korea Times in an email interview.
As the pioneers of the so-called ``melody rap,’’ which focuses more on the flow than lyricism, the group brings a total of 14 new songs, including the explosive main track ``Rebirth.’’
``We really intend on attracting fans in America as well as worldwide, Korea and everywhere the same way we started in the first place just by making authentic genuine music that comes from the heart that people can feel with everyday topics,’’ said Layzie Bone, a member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Making music for almost 20 years has seen them witnesses the ever-changing music scene, and the two artists also noted the shift from analogue to digital. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing.
``Of course, it affects the way the music industry is going now. Now CD sales are down in these days and times, but at the same time it’s a digital world so digital sales are up. Us having (a built-in) fanbase creates a lot of ways to reach those fans and really touch the consumer directly. So it’s difficult with the sales being low but there are a lot of different avenues that you can venture off into as far as branding now,’’ Layzie Bone explained.
Like the U.S., hip hop here has become a channel of expression ― topics ranging from personal encounters to social issues such as minorities and discrimination. The melody and beats are crucial, but it’s the vibe and ambiance that makes a winner.
``The most important thing for me is that the song should be from your heart. It’s not just about me, but it’s about the people in this world too,’’ Big Sloan said.
``We really sing about struggle, like music back in the days when the slaves sung hymns just to get by. These feelings that we have is what comes out through our art. Because we’ve been allowed to speak our voice and have freedom of speech which has created the up-rise of hip-hop and now Koreans can relate to this. So they can probably do what we have been doing which is to sing or rap about whatever you want to talk about, but with emotions and meaning behind it. It’s about everyday life,’’ Layzie Bone added.
Listening to music these days may seem like walking down memory lane for artists like Layzie Bone. But like fashion, music also repeats itself and this is the reason why it’s important to respect all genres, especially for aspiring artists.
``Music is evolution. It always goes around and never ends, so you just have to stick with the movement of hip-hop about 10 to 15 years ago. It’ll never stop as long as you are trying to be creative and bring something new to what you are studying. It’s always going to evolve,’’ he said, adding that they are ``looking forward to collaborate with some Korean artists’’ to create something different.
He added a small piece of advice for Korean singers looking to branch out into the U.S., which has been practically an obsession here.
``(This) hip hop game is built off of who you know. It’s more cliquish so you have to become part of a certain group. It’s a little harder because we are not used to having people come from another country and become an instant star. It’s not that easy like it was in their home country, because here in U.S., you will have to start from scratch,’’ he said.