For those of you who own the single for "If I Could Teach the World," if you listen closely to the beginning of the clean and LP versions on that single, you will notice birds chirping.  These birds are absent from the song on the Art of War.

     In Tupac Shakur's verse in his song with Bone ("Thug Luv") he raps a line that is now somewhat ironic:  "Probably be punished for hard livin', blind to the facts thugs is convicts in God's prison, hands on the strap.  Prayin', so Father please forgive me.  Police be rushin' when they see me.  I flaunted America's Most Wanted live on T.V.  Life:  pleasure and pain, stuck in this game, holler my name.  We all gon' die." 
The irony?  After the tragic shooting which took his life, Tupac's murder was a case investigated on the television show "America's Most Wanted."

     The name comes from the title of the book The Art of War written by Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu (circa 400-320 B.C.)  The book is the oldest formalized treatise on the concepts and principles of (conventional) war and military strategy.  Apparently Bone read the book and they were intrigued by "fighting without fighting."  Layzie descibes it this way:  "It's a war goin' on and ain't nobody recognizin.  [A war] between good and bad, God, Devil.  Life is a war." 
     An Italian statesman who lived from 1469-1527, Niccolo Machiavelli, also wrote a book whose title translates to "The Art of War".  He, however, was not their influence--just a coincidence. 

 

     According to the back of the CD case for The Art of War, track 13 on WWII is called "Friends" however the inside leaflet says it is called "How Many Of Us Have Them" which contains and interpolation of "Friends" 

Mr. Ouija, of Mr. Ouija's Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Crossroad contacted me and told me some interesting things about his CD.  He lives in Sweden, and apparently his case does not say "Friends" but does in fact say "How Many of Us Have Them"  His leaflet also does not contain the "Upcoming Releases" section.

     Cassette-tape owners are missing out slightly . . . the song "Whom Die They Lie" (track 12, WWII) is a "Bonus CD Cut" i.e. it's not on the cassette version of The Art of War. 

     In the song "Ain't Nothin Changed", Krayzie raps a verse partially in tribute to Eazy-E. The line says "Ready to bust on anything. Shoot, shoot, 'em up, shoot 'em up. [But ] 'Nobody move, [won't] nobody get hurt.'"  Eazy-E had a track on his album "EAZY-DUZ-IT"called "Nobody Move" in which the chorus intoned the words "Nobody move, nobody get hurt"  It might be noted also that this is an old reggae hook. 

Click here to hear a Real Audio clip  (11 seconds, 22.9k) of Krayzie in "Ain't Nothin Changed" 
Click here to hear a Real Audio clip (24 seconds, 47.1k) of Eazy-E's "Nobody Move" 

     If one examines the picture of Layzie on the inside of the leaflet for The Art of War (his page with the two picutres, one being a close up) one will notice that the picture on the right page has been printed in reverse (a common photographic error).  This can be told by his tattoos:  The "Mo! Thug" on his arm is reversed, the Skull should be on the left of his chest, and the music notes on his neck are written backwards. 

     If you play the chorus of "Look Into My Eyes" backwards, it sounds somewhat like they are saying "In the East we straight kill."  Although I doubt this was intentional, it's still interesting to note. 

     The radio edit single CD for "Look Into My Eyes" actually bears a pair of eyes.  If you look closely at the picture of Bone on the back of the CD cover (closeup of their heads above the word WAR), it would appear that the pair of eyes belong to Wish.  Of course, it could be just about anyone's eyes, but if you compare the shape of the eyes and the shadows, it seems likely that they are indeed Wish's.

     The middle of the leaflet for this album contains a picture with a variety of weapons and other related images.  Of particular interest are the pictures of the skeletons next to "Defend" and "Assault".  The second group can be scene gracing the back of the CD case behind the track listing. 

     The first picture is inspired by the famous statue in Washington, D.C.:  The Iwo Jima memorial.  That statue bears soldiers planting a flag commemorating the taking of that island during the second World War. 

     The quote under "The Art of War" is an interesting one.  One would think that it was taken from the text "The Art of War", however I have browsed that text and find no such quote.  It would appear this is just something the art direction came up with because they liked how it sounded. 

     The sword corrosponding to "#1 Assassin" is not the same that Layzie wields in the booklet.  (See above)

• At the left and the right there is an image of an eye (looks like a heiroglyph).  It is reversed on one side.
• The number 0203 is absent.
• The column after the 0600s is blank.