---

BONE THUGS~N~HARMONY

Creepin On Ah Come Up

review by David Levine

Okay listen up, y'all. I'm writing reviews this month with no press or bio's as filler, just 100% opinion. I thought it would make my reviews more "incisive and poignant" . First up this month is BONE THUGS~N~HARMONY. Their new release is called, "Creepin On Ah Come Up". Nice title, huh? As I listened to this record a question formed in my temporarily lucid mind. The question forming was a result of the incredibly violent lyrics on this record. Every song is about poppin' someone, robbing someone, slappin' a bitch, or pistol whippin' someone. Listening to this shit pissed me off at first. I'm thinking, "This shit is sick. It's totally about hurting people and glorifying it." I thought how I'd like to bitch slap Bone. Except they'd pop a cap in me with a 9.

So here is the question: If a songwriter writes a lyric about robbing and killing someone, does that mean they endorse that behavior? When a great songwriter like Dylan or Bob Marley writes a song I certainly don't automatically think it's about them. I know they have the ability to put themselves in another person's shoes. Usually on an album there is enough variety in the subject matter so you don't think all the songs are autobiographical. So I thought, "Maybe Bone is not writing about their own experiences, maybe they are writing about people they know, or imagined experiences."

I admit that my first thought was that Bone endorses this behavior. They certainly don't seem to have anything to write about except committing crimes. O.K., that's why it's called Gangsta Rap.Yet if there is no balancing of those lyrics with a message like, maybe, it's not cool to "shoot em in the temple and watch'em tremble", then you wonder what they are trying to say. All these songs are about crime. Maybe that's all these guys know so that is what they write about. I've got no problem with people writing about whatever they want to write about. I believe in the First Amendment. If you want to write songs about satanic ritualistic abuse, I could give a fuck but don't expect me to listen to the shit. Wait, I have to listen to this shit! Anyway, to answer my question as far as Bone goes. I think they think crime is cool. So I say "Bone, get bent."

Now as for the rest of the record I have to say it's, well...pretty good. The rhymes are cool and so is the music. The first cut just called Intro (180k .au) starts with a deep, scary, processed vocal saying "I'm back" ala Poltergeist. Then they come in with the background vocals. A groovy rip off of the backups on Heard It Through The Grapevine (162k .au). Cut #3 called Thuggish Ruggish Bone (188k .au) starts with a sample of what is, I believe, The Rev. Calvin Butts stating " We are not against rappers But we are against those thugs..." Gosh, after listening to the lyrics here I can't blame The Rev. for making that statement. The groove here is solid and the woman singing the title line over and over sticks in your head like gum to your shoe on a hot day. (157k .au) The tunes are pretty sparse, not heavily layered like Public Enemy, just a heavy bass line, a very simple drum part , some synth and the words. Simple, clean and slow, that's the style. If you want a taste of some heavy breathing, check out Foe The Love Of $. (141k .au) I'm calling this one a toss up. If you want, just listen to it while you're doing the dishes and ignore the words. Or, if you're just trying to get yourself hyped for a drive by, crank up the jam and listen to the man.