After being missing in action since doing "Give Up The Ghost" with Immature, Bizzy Bone has reemerged to give us all a closer, more personal glimpse into his hectic life with his solo debut, Heaven'z Movie. Bizzy has been recognizably absent from many Bone thugs~n~harmony videos, performances, interviews and even concerts. While all Bone fans know that Bone has had a tremendous amount of dispute and difficulty with Ruthless Records, it was strange that Bizzy--of all Bone members--would be the one to not show up. Rumors surfaced, ranging from Bizzy being diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia to Bizzy contracting AIDS to Bizzy leaving Bone thugs~n~harmony for undisclosed reasons. However, the real reason why Bizzy was missing in action was due to the death of his father and Bizzy's total disregard for the totalitarian and overseeing attitude of Tomica Wright--widow of Ruthless Records founder Eric "Eazy-E" Wright--and current owner and President of Ruthless Records. During his time away, though, Bizzy was busy working on his solo album and the fruits of his labor are evident.

The album starts off slowly with the compulsory intro track, "Roll Call." Sometimes, intro tracks can be a complete song in their own right--"Roll Call" is not of this type, though, as Bizzy Bone does nothing more than chant "You can't kill me" and harmonize "Roll Call" throughout. Nevertheless, the disc then goes into the smash single "Thugz Cry," an anger laced tirade directed mostly at Tomica Wright--whom Bizzy refers to as the "Black Widow" in his album credits. The chorus, "This is what it sounds like when thugs cry", is a rip of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince's smash hit "When Doves Cry", but luckily, Bizzy didn't sample the beat and remained original. Bizzy gives insight into the dilemmas he faces with Ruthless, especially with Tomica Wright, when he says: "We keepin the lights on at Ruthless and I ain't fuckin the boss. Look in at me sexy, take your clothes off, but my dick'll go soft. Never mix business with your sickness, enemy see me flippin in the picnic with your little divide and conquer but my sister was ready to bomb her! Get off the dizznick and up off my voice, me and my boys, give us a choice. How could you ever tell Sony that I was the only one making noise?" Bizzy pulls no punches and has no shame for what he says about the woman he feels is being a dictator that has stripped Bone of every last bit of creative freedom they had.

Next on Heaven'z Movie are two tracks, both under one minute long and both being far from complete or being considered dope. "Marchin' On Washington" is nothing more than a customary "call to arms" for all the members of Bizzy's record label, while "Yes Yes Y'all" has the potential to be one of the highlights of the entire disc if it were only more lengthy. "Menensky Mobbin'" is decent at best and is exactly as its song title states, a mobbing joint. Next is "Waitin' For Warfare", a collaboration by Bizzy Bone and his little brother Adrian--also known as H.I.T.L.A.H Capo-Confuscious. The song features a dope beat with a cadence that cadets at VMI could march to. Bizzy comes with a dope verse, notifying everyone "I'm the nigga dumpin', tell 'em lovely all the way from the Claire to the PO and down '71 we on the C.O. and fuckin with the B-O-N-E, hit the floor and GO and again we hit the door." Bizzy's brother shines as well, displaying a refreshing break from the rapid- pace that Bizzy sets. If this is any hint at what Capo can bring to 7th Sign Regime, then Bizzy has a sure-fire star on his hands. As far as 7th Sign Regime is concerned, their spotlight artist is undoubtedly Mr. Majesty. His verses on "Mr. Majesty II" are some of the dopest on the entire CD. Majesty warns: "Manipulatin' metaphors I take full credit for, you can rest assured you'll never more suffer through flaw. You can steady toughen the law, there'll be tougher criminals brushin the shores, tuck in your jaw." Majesty is truly the most talented artist Bizzy has on his solo CD and he makes up for the lackluster track he gave for the soundtrack to the movie Blade.

Following the sensational "Mr. Majesty II" is a one-minute long "interlude" entitled "Brain On Drugs" that does little more than provide filler. Then, the sentimental and laid-back "On The Freeway" asks the listener "have you ever made love on the freeway (the freeway), have you ever met your lover on the highway (ah ah ah ah)." Following "On The Freeway" is "Demons Surround Me", a track that would make the listener think that Bizzy would rap energetically, utilizing his "deep" voice, but instead; the listener gets a very high-pitched Bizzy Bone chanting "demons surround me all the time, demons surround me all the time" while talking about all the negativity he has had to face during his life and how he has coped. Even though "Demons Surround Me" dissatisfies, the disc's crowning jewel "(The Roof Is) On Fire" follows shortly thereafter. Boasting the illest beat on the CD and the hardest feel of any song, the chorus chants "the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. We don't need nothing but the weed and a lighter, and a lighter." Bizzy then takes aim at a number of topics, including rapper Gangsta Boo, member of Bone thugs~n~harmony's "arch enemies" Three 6 Mafia. Bizzy advises: "With that pretty little bitch in your click, uh spittin' demonish shit--hey baby you need a friend, and act a little bit feminine. Take the fatigues off, fuck the club, even the 6 it's hellish. I be the one to tell it, lust for the thugs who be fuckin with seven...seven...seven...seven...seven...seven...seven..." Bizzy then comes with "Gather up gas masks for biological war, we know a whiff of the shit will make you withered fo sho'. Niggaz in the C.O., we livin in this Ab World, 144 thousand full of tribes with the last word." Bizzy's fire and energy is at a completely higher level on this track.

Winding down the CD are "Nobody Can Stop Me" and "Social Studies", two deeply soul-searching, thought provoking tracks. "Nobody Can Stop Me" shows Bizzy pondering his life, about how he became a father before he even became a man, about how he was abused as a child and how he has come so far in such a short amount of time. "Social Studies" is a completely shocking track that nobody could have expected from Bizzy Bone. Mitchell Johnson, who killed classmates at his Jonesboro, Arkansas middle school, blamed music made by Marilyn Manson and Bone thugs~n~harmony for giving him ideas to do what he did. Bizzy took particular exception with this and dedicated a track to Mitchell Johnson, along with other prepubescent murderers in the news lately. An angry, fiery Bizzy Bone preaches: "Down in Arkansas woods little Mitchell strapped up with ammo. Do they know really what he's thinkin and the plan is plotted out in land. Morbid be gang bangers hang on corners, smokin perfecto's and I often search for profit but I ain't killed nobody, STOP IT!" Bizzy also notifies "I ain't no Marilyn Manson, I'm a rapper thugologist in the rapture." Bizzy then advises those in command that these school-aged murderers should pay for their crimes with their lives and Bizzy offers to pull the switch himself--repeatedly saying "And let me pull the switch, switch, switch, switch." Once "Social Studies" is over, a 5-minute episode of complete silence leads into "Ghetto News", a ridiculous skit that does nothing but take up time and space; a weak way to end a spectacular solo debut.

In the end, Bizzy Bone's CD is neither a disappointment nor a gem. Even though Tomica Wright didn't have complete overseeing duties on the Executive Producer role, she did have a chance to make this CD weaker than what it should have been. Bizzy Bone has recorded more than 500 songs since he's been away from Bone and it's highly doubtful that the 13 that appear on his solo CD are the top picks. Nevertheless, Bizzy's lyrics are deep, very soul searching, very different from what Bone fans have come to expect from him. Bizzy stands in defiance of Tomica Wright and her Ruthless Empire and his CD gives a glimpse of how much better Bone would be if they were signed to another label.

ThugHustla's views:

Would you have ever thought of Bone Thugs N Harmony would ever split up? Well, as it seems in this day and age they never will, but you can get a taste of what it would be like if they ever did without all the hassles. All the members decided to do a solo project to express themselves individually, and Bizzy is the first to do it from the core group.(excluding Flesh-N-Bone) Before I dwell into this CD I thought I would say it had me in head-nodding mode from beggining to end. Now it is time for the main show.

Bizzy comes at you right from the start with his "Roll Call". He used this as a Lil' Introduction to his CD. Nothing too long and not too short. He does a slight harmonization with himself as he announces "Rap is back in it's original form". Next we roll on into "Thugz Cry". This song is not a resampled rehash of an old Prince Song, it borrows the Chorus slighty. The beat is a fresh mix from Bizzy and one of his producers "Johnny J". Within the mixture of this song you will find Bizzy talkin about how Tomika Wright (head of Ruthless Records) is ruining Bones career. "Marching on Washington" is the next track you will hear Bizzy talkin at you on my layers from many sides of your speakers. This song is like a battle march, and as you get into it it starts to fade out on you. I am thinkin it was meant to be an introduction for the next song. "Yes Yes Y'all" would be a crown jewel of the CD if it was longer than a minute in length. He talks about bein in a Jacuzi splittin up his sticky. If This song was longer it would be one of the songs you would blast in your car.

To follow that up comes his mobbin song. it is appropriatly named "Menensky Mobbin". This is a song that is all about out havin fun and humiliatin people that are against you. When the nest song comes accross your ears you will know right away that this is meant to be a single. He comes out in this song talkin about "Waiting For Warfare". He talks about the "Black Widow", "Gary", and the "C.O.". With Lines like this,"Imma get mine and I ain't lyin nigga everytime I sign the dotted line it's for the riot nigga what you want to do and I ain't dyin without you in teh silence will kill ya it's teh silent ones who might peel ya on teh reala on my lonley and I see that your phony nobody phone me and surely I'm out the door and don't you come for me", you know he came to get some things off of his chest. "Mr Majesty II" is a solo for Majesty. This is his shining moment. I have never heard a smoother rhyme from him before. "Brain On Drugs" is about gettin high all the time.

"On The Freeway" Bizzy talks about being with a girl and how he is gonna make her feel. It is a sorta slow song for Bizzy. He says, "Put you in my car and Zoom Zoom". With his next song "Demons Surround Me" I was expectin an evil ballad about all the things he has been through in his life, but I got a quick dance track. He does have some good lines in this song like, "Talk to the walkin dead crossroads call on teh Rev. lost soul and I'm off in a coffin tossin' my memoirs". Now on of the major jewels of this CD is "(The Roof Is) On Fire". He came out at his hardest on this talkin about what he representin and Disrespectin "Gangta Boo" from "Three Six Mafia" This track has a semi dance beat to it but for this song it works 100%. When you hear this you wanna get up and dance to it. "Nobody Can Stop Me" is Bizzy in his slow song finest. He used a sample from "If Only You Knew" This is the only sample I could hear on the entire CD. He talks about his life from the begining. He says it all about him becoming a young father, and movin out from Columbus to Cleveland to get into rapping. Now for me the Crowning Jewel of this CD is "Social Studies". Bizzy gets on all those School shootin kids cases. He comes out tellin it how it needs to be. "I'm haunted by sinister niggas that paid for and Mr Mitchell Johnson you're a grown man with no soul fry him at 15 years old", that is a sample of how he comes tellin it like it is. At the end of the song he sings one line over and over. "Let me pull the Switch...switch...switch...switch".

If you don't already own this CD I recomend goin out and buyin it as soon as you can. it is worth while. The only major drawback is it's length of 50 minutes. If you don't mind that, and want excellent music you will buy thios and put it on your shelf...better yet keep it in your Player.

Two Minute Miracles, The: Volume II

Tygers Of Pan Tang: First Kill

[Issue Fourteen // November 1998]