Stalley: Back Home Taking In A Cleveland Cavaliers Game

Stalley showing his home town appreciation for the Cavs. Cleveland Cavaliers go head to head with the Boston Celtics tonight!

Bone Thugs N Harmony: Flesh N Bone LA Times Interview On Working With Eazy, 2Pac And Biggie

L.A. Times: Did you expect such a large homecoming when you were released from prison?

Flesh N Bone: It was something that we’d talked about, but I didn't know that it was going to go down, and certainly not with all of the Bones, my moms, my pops, and my in-laws. They were all right there on a 12 passenger tour bus and we went straight to the studio. It's been like that for the last year and nine months. We've been on the road and we're making progress with our music. Not to mention the hundreds of songs that we have in the archives. It's been nothing but constant work -- we're trying to keep focused on doing big business.

L.A. Times: How is the dynamic different with the group these days?

Flesh N Bone: The dynamic is a lot different. I'm divorced and re-married now with a new 8-month-old son. There was a lot of focus on us at the beginning. We were kids in our late teens and early 20s, and we saw the wealth, the fame, the status and the hype of the industry. Everything was going thousands of miles an hour, and it took for me to go through what I had to go through for us to understand that what we’re dealing with is a bona fide business.

Of course, it's still fun, but we’re such mature adults now and we can appreciate the gift and the blessing of being able to do this. We realize that not everything is promised to us. For me to come out of prison and be able to return to this is something that I'm so grateful for. I was reckless at 25 years old, I was reckless at 18, I'm not that reckless anymore. I look at this as white collar, something that feeds generations. It's really serious today.

L.A. Times: During your time in jail, how cognizant of the group's fortunes were you, and were you constantly focused on what you were going to do when you got out?

Flesh N Bone: The focus was definitely there. I was praying really hard for them to be able to keep it together, and for Bizzy to overcome any obstacles that he’d been going through. Thankfully, we’re all still well and alive today. For me to get torn away from the group, Layzie, Krayzie and Wish did an exceptional job to keep them rocking and rolling. There was never an instance when they weren't successful just because one or two members weren’t there -- what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I wasn't able to keep tabs on them as closely as I would've liked, but I know everyone always had open arms for Bizzy and that the mic was always waiting for him. But now, he's back and at home. We promised the fans that Bizzy would be on this album and we made it happen. There's been a lot of ups and down with us, but it's still Bone Thugs being Bone Thugs. We're always individuals and humble and recognizing and empathizing and sympathizing with our fans.

L.A. Times: Eazy-E was the first one to put Bone Thugs on. What was it about him that made you target him when you were trying to get a deal?

Flesh N Bone: We always felt that special connection with Eric "Eazy-E" Wright. Even though we were speaking with other labels, our heart was always set on contacting Eazy. He was the underdog and he created his own category. He was the first one to bring the aggressive street mentality to the game, and he was an innovator who deserves to go down in hip hop history as one of the godfathers of rap. He was a genius in his own right -- in those two years with him, we learned so much. He taught us about the business and its etiquette, marketing and how to promote. The key was that you can't make money without the music. He was a creative genius and a very wise man. He spoke very elegantly.

L.A. Times: Bone Thugs also was the only group to collaborate with The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, and Big Punisher. How did those songs come about?

Flesh N Bone: With Biggie, we had and continue to have a great relationship with Puffy, so when they were in town they invited us over to the studio to work with him. I was actually supposed to have a verse on "Notorious Thugs" but it was too long as it was -- however, I was able to kick it there in the studio and enjoy Biggie and Puffy's company.

We met 2Pac through our close relationship with the Outlawz. 2Pac had met Bizzy first and immediately the two of them developed a bond and went to the studio to work together. It was Bizzy who set it all up. I was actually the one who met Big Pun. It came when I was in New York and getting ready to do a song with Fat Joe on my debut solo album, and he brought Pun along. He actually wrote the hook, but I didn't even know who Pun was until he spit his lyrics. A lot of people don't know that he actually got his industry debut on my solo album.

L.A. Times: So now that the tour is over, what's next for Bone Thugs?

Flesh N Bone: We’re going to get back home, get some rest, get back in the lab and continue that mission. We've working on a treatment for a script about the real life story story of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Los Angeles is the home base these days, and we're trying to get our feet wet in feature film projects, as well as a Bone Thugs book. Of course, the music is always in effect. (source)

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Plan National Headlining Tour

via the press release

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - March 11, 2010) - Grammy Award winning hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will launch a 34-city U.S. tour this spring in support of their long-awaited reunion album titled "Uni5: The World's Enemy" set for an April 27 release on BTNH Worldwide/Asylum/Warner Bros. Records. Krayzie, Wish, Layzie and Flesh-N-Bone will kick off the tour on March 24 in Minneapolis, MN and wrap-up in Tuscon, AZ on May 3.

The album is a 15-year reunion that chronicles the unity and adversity issues that have rifled the group's successful, often turbulent career while opening up a broader discussion on how these same themes manifest themselves in society. "You go through things to make you stronger," Layzie says. "All your obstacles, all the things you go through that don't seem positive at that particular time are only to get you ready for your next phase of life."

With more than 30 million albums sold worldwide and a very active (almost cult-like) loyal fan base, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have become one of the most popular hip-hop groups in the genre's history. The recipients of numerous awards and accolades, the Bone Thugs are also the only artists or group to collaborate with icons Eazy-E, 2Pac, Big Pun and the Notorious B.I.G. while they were still alive. These Midwest franchise players, most revered for popularizing staccato rhymes with melodic vocals, have influenced the cadence and delivery of many of today's MCs.

"With the contributions we have made through songs, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will live forever in music. We've made our mark in history," says Krayzie. "To me, that is the most valuable thing."

Wed Mar 24 - Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Thu Mar 25 - Milwaukee, WI Eagles
Fri Mar 26 - Sauget, IL Pop's
Sat Mar 27 - Chicago, IL Congress
Sun Mar 28 - Cleveland, OH HOB
Mon Mar 29 - Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
Wed Mar 31 - Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls
Thu Apr 1 - Columbus, OH Newport
Fri Apr 2 - Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
Sat Apr 3 - Lancaster, PA The Chameleon
Mon Apr 5 - Boston, MA Middle East
Tue Apr 6 - New York, NY Irving Plaza
Wed Apr 7 - State College, PA Mezzanine
Thu Apr 8 - Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Fri Apr 9 - Wilmington NC The Rox
Sat Apr 10 - Charlotte, NC Amos Southend
Sun Apr 11 - Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Tue Apr 13 - Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
Wed Apr 14 - Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Thu Apr 15 - Orlando, FL Firestone
Fri Apr 16 - Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
Tue Apr 20 - New Orleans, LA HOB
Wed Apr 21 - Dallas, TX HOB
Thu Apr 22 - Houston, TX HOB
Fri Apr 23 - San Antonio, TX Scoutbar
Sat Apr 24 - Austin, TX Emo's
Mon Apr 26 - Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
Tues Apr 27 - Colombia, MO The Blue Note
Wed Apr 28 - Council Bluffs, IA Harrah's
Thu Apr 29 - Kansas City, KS Harrah's
Fri Apr 30 - Denver, CO Gothic Theatre (Englewood)
Sat May 1 - Albuquerque,NM Sunshine Theatre
Sun May 2 - Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
Mon May 3 - Tuscon, AZ Rialto Theatre

Chip Tha Ripper - 'Like That' (video)

(video courtesy of midcmedia.com)

Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - 'In This World' (video)

Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - Revolutions Per Minute on Warner Brothers/Blacksmith coming soon!

Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek On 'Revolutions Per Minute' The New Album

Vibe was on hand for the Reflection Eternal discussion session at Warner Bros. Records NYC location Thursday, January 21.

Photos from that session:
Wire Image

Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal - the album 'Revolutions Per Minute' on Blacksmith/Warner Bros. Records tentatively set for release April 6.

Kid Cudi Returns To Cleveland For Concert Homecoming

As reported by John Soeder at The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com (photo courtesy of John Soeder)

“On top of the dreams is where I’m found,” Kid Cudi intoned over a pulsating techno beat during “Cudi Zone,” a highlight of his sold-out performance Friday night (Jan. 15) at the Agora Theatre in Cleveland.

Here was living proof of a show-biz dream come true.

A few years ago, Scott Mescudi was just another struggling hip-hop artist. He was born in Cleveland and raised in Shaker Heights and Solon.

Now he’s up for three Grammy Awards, including best rap song for his breakthrough hit “Day n Nite.” The ceremony is set for Sunday, Jan. 31, in Los Angeles – the day after Cudi’s 26th birthday.

He moved to New York City in 2004, but Cudi remains a homeboy at heart. In concert, he sported a Cleveland Indians cap and liberally sprinkled local references into his tunes.

In return, he got a hero’s welcome from an enthusiastic audience. In the crowd were his mother, Elsie Mescudi, and other family members.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been home,” said Cudi, last seen onstage here in July at House of Blues.

“I love where I’m from,” he said. “I represent when I can.”

The 80-minute show drew heavily from his 2009 debut album, “Man on the Moon: The End of Day,” including dynamic renditions of “Up Up & Away,” “Solo Dolo” and “Make Her Say.”

Cudi also worked in a few selections (including “Down & Out”) from his Internet-popularized 2008 mixtape, “A Kid Named Cudi,” as well as tastes of recent collaborations with Jay-Z (“Already Home”) and David Guetta (“Memories”).

With his wiry build and hungry attitude, Cudi resembled a shadow boxer as he paced restlessly around the stage, dramatically backlit by multi-colored spotlights.

“I’ve got some issues that nobody can see / And all of these emotions are pouring outta me,” he declared to the tune of “Soundtrack 2 My Life,” a hypnotic ballad.

Unlike a lot of hip-hop hits, Cudi’s songs transcended mere braggadocio. His introspective musings didn’t shy away from dwelling on insecurities and shortcomings.

“Embrace the Martian” and other sci-fi-flavored numbers portrayed him as the ultimate outsider, an otherworldly stranger in a strange land.

The music itself was out of this world, too. Cudi’s distinctive sing-song delivery was matched with futuristic grooves. He eschewed the usual samples of R&B oldies in favor of a forward-thinking, electronica-oriented sound.

Despite the intimations of vulnerability in his lyrics, Cudi revealed an indomitable spirit. It came across loud and clear in “Heart of a Lion,” a hard-charging anthem.

On “Ask About Me” and “Hyyerr,” he traded lines with another Cleveland MC, Chip tha Ripper.

Chip warmed up the crowd with an impressive set of his own. He struck a chord with “Movie” (from his new “The Cleveland Show” mixtape) and other raps delivered with a relaxed command.

SET LIST:
Already Home
Down & Out
Dat New New
Soundtrack 2 My Life
Simple as . . .
Man on the Moon
Embrace the Martian
Up Up & Away
Sky Might Fall
Ask About Me (with Chip tha Ripper)
Hyyerr (with Chip tha Ripper)
Heart of a Lion
Solo Dolo
Make Her Say
Cudi Zone
Memories
Day n Nite
ENCORE:
Pursuit of Happiness

PHOTOS here:
Film Magic
Getty Images

fan shot footage below.





(video courtesy of MaoieWowie)

Bone Thugs N Harmony Upcoming Projects From The Studio On Dub CNN

A 3 part interview with Krayzie Bone from the studio via Dub CNN.






Related:
Bone Thugs N Harmony NYC Listening Session Album Preview

Bone Thugs N Harmony Performs in Orange County, CA

Bone Thugs N Harmony at The Grove in Anaheim, CA Saturday September 19.

Quality fan shot video below.







(video courtesy of itsel18V's)

Bone Thugs N Harmony 'Uni5: The Worlds Enemy' on Asylum/Bone Thugs N Harmony Worldwide in stores November 24.

Bone Thugs N Harmony: Krayzie Bone reveals new Bone activities from the studio

Krayzie speaks from behind the Bone Thugs N Harmony studio walls and gives us the current developments and upcoming projects from the Bone camp.



We just might have a new Bone Thugs N Harmony 'UNI-5' out September 1st.
(Courtesy of ThuglineTV)