Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E 1999 Eternal (Reissue) (Sony) (CD)

All Music Guide

Following the surprise success of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's summer 1994 anthem "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," the group returned a year later with E 1999 Eternal, an impressive debut full-length that dismisses any notion that the group was merely a one-hit wonder. From beginning to end, the album maintains a consistent tone, one that's menacing and somber, produced largely by DJ U-Neek, who frames the songs with dark, smoked-out G-funk beats and synth melodies. The Bone Thugs interweave their voices well, trading off verses and harmonizing on the choruses; plus, they sound more enthused and collaborative here than they ever again would, as they would later splinter and grow apart. There are a few standout moments, most notably the Grammy Award-winning ballad "Tha Crossroads" and the feel-good welfare ode "1st of the Month," as well as, of course, some obligatory blaze-some-to-this tracks, "Budsmokers Only" and "Buddah Lovaz." The intermittent tracks are good old-fashioned gangsta rap about murd...er, drugs, and money, though Bone's harmonious delivery makes them exceptionally interesting. In the end, the consistent tone that makes E 1999 Eternal such a beginning-to-end listen is unique among Bone's subsequent albums, which tend to be jumbled, as is the remarkable group cohesiveness, which is central to the appeal of standout songs like "Tha Crossroads" and "1st of the Month." Putting aside the disappointments that laid ahead for Bone, E 1999 Eternal stands as one of the most accomplished, unique hardcore rap albums of the '90s, one that's often unfairly overlooked, if not dismissed entirely. [The original release featured a different version of "Tha Crossroads" titled simply "Crossroad" that was quickly replaced by a radio-aired, Grammy-winning remix.] - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less