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| Artist | Bizzy Bone |
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| Dates of Release | Oct 6, 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical Stuff | 1998 CD Mo Thugs/Ruthless/Relativity 1670-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles Released |
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| 1. Roll Call | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 2. Thugz Cry | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 3. Marchin' On Washington | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 4. Yes Yes Y'all | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 5. Menensky Mobbin' | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 6. Waitin' For Warfare | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini, H.I.T.L.A.H. Capo-Confuscious |
| 7. Mr. Majesty II | Mr. Majesty |
| 8. Brain On Drugs | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 9. On The Freeway | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini, Cat Cody |
| 10. Demons Surround Me | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 11. (The Roof Is) On Fire | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 12. Nobody Can Stop Me | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
| 13. Social Studies | Bizzy Bone/B.B. Gambini |
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| Overall, this album is very good.
It is obvious by the music, the lyrics, the content, even the jackets,
that a lot of time and effort were put into producing this project.
The music is a bit different than what Bone fans are used to--D.J. U-Neek's
normal dark tunes are not present here. Rather, it is more of a mix
of hip-hop beats, some slower urban contemporary rhythms, and strong drum
beats. The music is all very good, but is "lighter" than other Bone
efforts. It is also feels somewhat slower and softer, developed and
mastered extremely well. It has an appealing mix of the required
drum and bass beats with piano, strings, and a variety of synthesized elements.
Bizzy shines on this album. His lyrics (which are included in the booklet, with exception to three tracks) are phenomenal. They are all very well thought out and delivered in his rapid-fire style. He whines a little bit less on this album than some of his more recent projects (ex. "Give Up The Ghost") and is actually extremely musical here. He does almost all the vocals, and of particular mention the choruses--which are all a mix of singing and rapping. He seems to be progressing as an artist--he is rapping his vocals with the pitch of the music, as a singer would (as opposed to most rappers who tend to be pretty limited in the changes of pitch in their vocals, for example Ma$e). His verses all flow extremely well and smoothly, and he uses repetition and echoing to diversify and add depth to his songs. He is soft and thoughtful at times, and loud and forceful at others. He shows a wide range of emotion, subject matter, and vocal ability on this album. It is definitely a feather in his cap and an effort that deserves respect. There are some down sides, however. The lack of other Bone members on his solo album is a bit of a dissapointment. The absence of his fellow Bones and their contrasting styles and sounds makes the tracks feel empty sometimes (after hearing him for years rapping with 3 others, it is at times strange to hear only him). There presence would only have added to an already fine album. In addition, he only mentions them once, Bone a few times, and Cleveland a few times. You listen expecting to hear those commonplace expressions and fail to find them (however, if one considers his standpoint, he has been rapping about Bone and Cleveland for years now--he's probably sick of saying all those things over and over and wants to expand musically). The lack of tracks is also a bit of a let down. The album advertises 13 tracks, however there really are only 8. Roll Call, Marchin' On Washington, Yes Yes Y'all, and Brain On Drugs are all b.s. tracks which average about a minute in length, and Mr. Majesty II is simply Majesty, no Bizzy. The tracks Marchin' On Washington and Yes Yes Y'all both have potential as full fledged songs, but for some reason both of them fade around the 1 minute mark, just when they are getting interesting. It is unfortunate he didn't decide to carry through with those and develop two strong songs from them. Also, although this is not detracting from the album, it would have been nice to hear from the other 7th Sign Regime members he has enlisted. We hear his brother H.I.T.L.A.H. Capo-Confuscious, and Mr. Majesty, but nothing from anyone else. He could have included a track such as Bone has done in the past where they introduce new talent (ex. "Shotz to the Double Glock," "Mo Thug Family Tree") but maybe he is waiting to produce that as a whole album like Family Scriptures. As a whole, this is a very good album. It is strong in music, lyrics, content, and sound. However, some fans may not appreciate Bizzy's departure from traditional Bone sounds and his diversification of style. |
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If you just turn your CD or tape player off after the supposed last track on the album, "Social Studies," has faded out, you are missing the real last "track" on the album. It is not listed in the jacket, nor is it really its own seperate track, but should you let your CD or tape player continue to play for about 4 minutes after the song is over (8:45 in track 13) you will come across a fake news broadcast which is mildly amusing. |
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If you listen carefully to Marchin' On Washington, and are a student of classical music, you will notice the piece "Moonlight Sonata" being played. |
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With the undertaking of Bizzy Bone's solo album, he also takes on a new identity: B.B. (Bizzy Bone) Gambini. |
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One relatively
obvious theme of this album is Bizzy Bone's extreme distaste and resentment
of Tomica Wright, head of Ruthless Records and widow of Eazy-E. It
is apparent he feels cheated by her, as well as used by her as a puppet
to satisfy her own greed. The following references are made to her:
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Those who have been following the news in the past year or so may recognize the subjects of this track. In particular, Mitchell Johnson, who along with a schoolmate, lay in waiting outside their school in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and fired upon the crowds of students and faculty as they exited the building during a false fire alarm (which they orchestrated). The two were angry over receiving detention. Sadly, there were casualties...people died. Other child criminals are mentioned on this track as well. |
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This album introduces the 7th Sign Regime, the artists Bizzy has recruited to be under his label. They are the following: Mr. Majesty (who appeared on Bone's The Art of War in "Ready 4 War" and "7 Sign."), H.I.T.L.A.H. Capo-Confuscious (Bizzy's little brother), Que Loco, Toy (Toy Ye), Black Hole (Menesky Tribe), Weezee, Eddie B., Skails, Lil Nina Ross, Mike Smoov, and Neal Reign. Cat Cody, who has appeared in other Bone projects (inlcuding "Ain't Said No Names" on Family Reunion), is also on Bizzy's album. |
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