Bone Thugs-N-Harmony by bohoJoe for 002 Magazine

My bohoBestie Carla invited us to interview Bone Thugs-N-Harmony a few weeks ago.  It just so happens that my brother is a big fan, huge fan, slightly obsessed fan.  I asked him to handle the interview, and he killed it. He had questions that caught them off guard, the banter back and forth was funny and flowed, they even asked us to come hang after the show!  He is now our go-to for all gangsta rap interviews, so bring em on!

All photos by Anthony Rathbun

Q&A with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

March 6, 2014

Q&A with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

By: Joe Salinas

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was just in town for their Texas Takeover Tour, if you missed it, I feel for ya.  Not only did I go to the show, but I interviewed them.  I’m not a writer, I’m not a blogger, I am a diehard Bone Thugs fan and well my sister Sarah did it again…

To set the table properly for this I have to start by pointing out something a lot of you already know.  My sister BohoSarah lives her life with an energy and charisma that rubs off on you, makes you feel a bit stronger, it’s contagious.

Every once in a while her charisma means people invite her to do things like interview Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.  And she calls you saying “Will you interview Bone Thugs for me?” seems legit, but it still took a full day to sink in that I would be in the same room with Bone Thugs.  This is the group I listened to repeatedly starting in 1996, I was 14 and my sister had to convince my parents that a song about “glocks” and “bloody victims” was OK.  I’ve never stopped listening to them and you can hear Bone Thugs in every hip hop song you listen to today.  Hardcore rap with a melody, they were the first.  

So here is my interview, it was surreal and incredible.  I got to ask about Eazy-E and the beginning, where they are now and even got some advice for the Houston Texans...kind of.  With some friendly jabber in between, these guys kicked back and had a great time with us.  They even invited us back after the show; well maybe just my girlfriend but whatever.   I didn't think it was possible to be a bigger fan and then I walked in a small smoky room and this happened.

Is it true you guys got your break by calling Eazy-E from a payphone and free styling into his voicemail? 

Wish Bone:  He actually was on the other end.  Flesh-N-Bone: It was a friend’s phone, we called him up and we actually made several calls to his office and was able to get in contact with his secretary.  She promised that she would get us in touch with him…she was a doll, she kept true to her word and when Eazy-E was back in the office she made his ass get on the phone and take our calls.

Did you guys just know “I gotta get this guy on the phone” or how did that relationship develop? 

Flesh-N-Bone: Well we didn’t really know it was going to happen because we had dealt with people before that were like “ok we are gonna do this, we gonna do that”.  We didn’t know Eazy-E was going to be the type of business man that seriously earned that shit.  As a businessman he set himself apart from all the other cats that were full of shit.

What do you think Eazy-E on social media would be like? Wouldn’t that be something? 

Bizzy Bone: Yes it would, his son looks just like him and is in the business, I think he would be running the company at this time.  We retired at a successful era and just now decided to come back and do something together, but if he was here it would still be rock ‘n rolling and it would be crazier though because he was innovative.  He was into video games before they came out; he was about blasé and beautiful stuff.  Flesh-N-Bone: He would have millions of followers because he was he was a marketing genius and would have smashed social media.  He already understood how to get to the masses and promote. 

Did everyone have the same switch at the same time from doing an album like Faces of Death to coming out with “Crossroads” where you rap about praying every day?

Bizzy Bone: It was kind of the same concept whether you’re thinking about hell or thinking about heaven.  You’re not afraid.  So when we got to Eazy he knew how to organize it and put it together.  Put it together for the masses and it became like a battle cry, like our warriors going to war overseas.  They don’t have drums no more; we got that shit right here for you - Ipod. 

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, yall should be in it. 

Bizzy Bone:  Thanks man, 4 more years, it’s the voting system however it goes.  We’ll get more into it as it gets closer. 

I know you guys are sports fans; you know what else we have in common?  Both of our football teams suck.  If you had first pick in the draft who would you take? 

CrazyBone: ahhhh man . 

A mobile quarterback? 

Crazy Bone: A mobile quarterback. 

My man, he just said Johnny Manziel. 

Who would you say is responsible for putting Houston rap on the map? Flesh-N-Bone:  J Prince.  Bizzy Bone:  Dayum!  Flesh-N-Bone:  That motherfucker’s the man. 

*Joe Salinas is the brother of 3 of the sisters that make up the blog bohoBlack.  He’s never met a stranger and appreciates the simple things in life like fishing, his family, the Texans, the Rockets and pre-2000 gangster rap.   He works at ElasticSolutions selling software.  He’s also been re-tweeted by Snoop Dog.