Author: Jake Paine
Published: December 31, 1969
Tool: [ email ]
For as fast as he can spit a verse, sitting down and talking with Krayzie Bone, you’ll release that he is as mellow and calm as his production. With a new album, "Thug On The Line", dropping August 28th, Krayzie has popped back into the center of attention. Bombarded with your typical, "what’s the single?" type questions, I wanted to get some more out of Krayzie. I wanted to know more about his mysterious roots, and some of those curious questions that go beyond the average. More than understanding, Krayzie’s colorful laugh and perceptive listening ear, aren’t what you’d expect. Still, in the coming months, the world will be introduced to a new side of Krayzie through his latest musical display as well. It takes a lot to be a versatile icon, to record dozens of tracks every week, it takes a lot to withstand so much...it takes a thug: Krayzie Bone.
1) If you look at Bone Thugs history, there really has never been a "frontman". After E1999, Bizzy seemed to be the runaway fan favorite. But after an incredible 1999, it seems that most hip hop heads look to you as the ambassador from your camp. How does that feel?.
Krayzie: It’s good, that people notice it. I put in alotta work in the studio. So to become the point person-it’s coo. It’s real coo when people respect you like that.
2) Releasing the last great example of the "double-disc era", you’re solo debut was one of the most diverse releases of our era. You incorporated G-Funk, Reggae, hardcore, and your own signature sound into the project. As the more commercial hip hop community begins to finally expand...how do you feel having been a quiet pioneer in expansive influences?
Krayzie: Cool. Gotta print...set the trend. Alotta cats take something original and bite it. But way I see it, they add a flavor. They bring something new to the game. It’s coo.
3) A little political question. What’s the Ruthless situation?
Krayzie: We off baby, we off!!! We are no longer on Ruthless. Amen Amen Amen!! In Cali they got a seven year law. It’s been seven years since we was signed, so we off. To *@%% with Ruthless.
5) Hailing from Cleveland, how do you feel about the direction Midwest Hip Hop seems to be taking?
Krayzie: Come in harder, unite! We was one of the first from MidWest. We came in at a time when it was East-West and so-on. So you had niggaz like Crucial Conflict and Do or Die having beef. We need to squash beef and unite. You got the East, now we need MidWest.
6) I know it’s been almost a year. But so many of us are unclear about what happened to you in the SOURCE awards. Care to comment?
Krayzie: Oh yeah. Oh yeah! Nah, there wasn’t nothin’. Just...people. Next day I read about it in papers. Truth is...we was just tryin’ to get out the way. If Bone get into it, ..YOU GONNA HEAR ABOUT IT, oh-believe that! Rumors. Nah, t’wasn’t nothin’.
7) In the midst of the Puffy court case drama, you made a comment that suggested that people, because of the Pac/Big beef, sided with Pac and go against Puffy. Having worked with both aggressors, do you see a calm after the storm coming at any time?
Krayzie: I dunno. Something’s in the air or somethin’.
8) Today, with the keyboard beats, samples are looked at as a token trait of the early 90’s. Having "Thug On the Line" pushed back for some clearances, how do you feel bearing a counter-culture style of production?
Krayzie: Nah, not true. There’s a lotta reasons to the push-back dates. But nah, I love to sample. I feel like I’m taking something beautiful from ‘then’, and puttin’ a lil’ ‘now’ into it-elaboratin’.
9) How do you feel the Bone essence would have been different if you would have been discovered by an East Coast exec, say a Steve Rifkiend or a Puffy?
Krayzie: If we wasn’t discovered by Eazy, shit...the East woulda sent us home. They couldn’t put up with us. Eazy was the only one to understand and put up with us tearin’ up hotel rooms.
10) I’ve personally always looked at Bone as a crucial link to the geography of hip hop. You always seem to have such unique and varying guests. For some odd reason, many people consider you West Coast acts. How does that misunderstanding make you feel?
Krayzie: It’s just...people don’t pay attention. We from Cleveland. We on the West, but we ain’t in the West.
11) It’s my understanding that U-Neek began working with you once you were signed. Who was producing your underground stuff?, and where are they now?
Krayzie: Local dudes from Cleveland. Shit, they still around. Ain’t heard from ‘em in like five years though. I lost contact, ya know. But on the last of the underground shit, WE DID, ‘cept maybe one or two other brothers.
12) On "Thug On Da Line", you brought in Def Jef as a producer. There’s a name we haven’t heard in a decade. How, and why did this come about?
Krayzie: Def Jef, he the Thugline Records A&R head now. Met him up at Lyricist Lounge show. He passed me some beats. I mean, he had beats. So we took it further. I’m like that. Right now Thugline tryin’ to sign Boss, remember?, Boss.
13) I’ve only heard one track off your new LP. I couldn’t even tell you the name of it. But it was very, soulful. What are the distinctions between this album, and your last?
Krayzie: More mature. Twice the last. Thicker. The last was a double, with a lot of repitition. This, this a single disc. Ain’t nothing sound alike. No two tracks sound alike, no two beats sound alike. Everything different.
14) On your first LP, you introduced a few new acts to the lineup. Can we expect any releases from those cats?
Krayzie: Knightridaz!, and they on new album. I’m in the studio with them a lot right now. But alotta those Thugline cats, it ain’t workout for some reasons. Like my girl group-Relay. One of them girls is locked down. Alotta things happened with them heads. But yeah, Knightridaz.
15) Where, artistically, do you see Krayzie Bone in five years?
Krayzie: Alotta platinum projects.
16) Who were your influences growing up?
Krayzie: Michael Jackson!. Run DMC, LL, old school. I listened to whatever was on the radio. I listened to country.
17) Tell the world what you want ‘em to know...
Krayzie: Lookout for my movie, "Ghetto Cowboy". We got all the rap stars, all the R&B stars in it. Lookout for new Bone Thugs and Harmony record. Thug On The Line...August 28!, and after that, lookout for Thugline Records first female, Larcese.
