American rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has landed the Billboard Charts for years, earning multiple #1 spots, and have won numerous awards for their music and videos. The group consists of brothers Layzie (Steven Howse) and Flesh-n-Bone (Stanley Howse), their cousin Wish Bone (Charles Scruggs), and their two close friends, Bizzy (Bryon Anthony McCane II) and Krayzie Bone (Anthony Henderson). They have been recognized as one of the most successful rap/hip-hop groups of all time, selling over 50 million records around the world. But their history goes back much further, before their years of success, to when they were growing up in the Glenville section of East Cleveland, Ohio, and actually living most of the themes of their music.

During their junior high school days hanging out on the streets, they would spend a lot of time harmonizing together, singing old songs. They then began having contests between each other for who could fit the most words into a verse or bar. Over time, they were able to build up speed, which is what led to the faster flow you hear in a lot of their music. After some time rapping in the hallways at school, battling in the lunchroom or outside the school, the group eventually came together to form their first group, the Band Aid Boys. 

After winning a series of talent shows, the group changed their name to B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e around 1991-1992. The group was formed between Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone and Wish Bone, minus the inclusion of their later fifth member, Flesh-n-Bone. It was around this time that they had begun work on their first studio album “Faces Of Death,” which they would later release in 1993. The album was recorded with the help of their then-mentor Kermit Henderson in his studio, Stoney Burke Recordings in East Cleveland. The album was produced by Diego Blak, Kris Ford, Ralph Rock and Bobby Jones.

Prior to this album, Henderson had worked with Layzie Bone as a solo artist, but signed the entire group only 3 months after beginning work with him. Kermit’s studio had also operated as a record store called Doll’s Rapid Creations, where members of the group would all work over time.

Henderson opened Doll’s in 1978, shortly after graduating from Case Western Reserve University. He graduated with a 3.52 GPA, majoring in pre-med and chemistry. During his college years, he also had a great love for music, and would DJ weddings and parties on the weekends. Some time after graduating, he met Jimmy Scorpio Stephens, director at WABQ 1460 AM based out of Painesville, and soon after had also met James Wright, owner of Filmore Records located on Lee Road. Shortly after meeting, Wright saw Henderson’s passion for music and DJing, and they became business partners, which eventually led to Henderson opening Doll’s. In 1992, Kermit was working with local rapper K Chill. Through him, he was connected with Layzie Bone, which is when he began working with him as a solo artist. One thing led to another, which of course brings us to where we are today.

Henderson had gone from selling LPs out of the trunk of his car in 1973 to owning 4 record stores in the 90s. He would help aspiring artists not only through mentoring, but helping them record albums or demos. He would also sell their music and promote it within these shops. Henderson has been noted as one of the main driving forces that led to Cleveland becoming one of the top three markets for rap and hip-hop between the 1990s and early 2000s. He has been referred to by many as the “kingpin of Cleveland hip-hop.” Henderson worked with and promoted numerous other artists, including Dre Bone, Big Gank, Mr. Money Loc, Romey Rome, Big Ren and others.

Shortly after the release of their first studio album, Bone Thugs had decided to change their name to B.O.N.E. Within the year after the release of this album, they boarded a Greyhound to Los Angeles in hopes to showcase their music to their childhood idol, Eazy-E (Eric Wright) – N.W.A. founder and owner of Ruthless Records. They made calls to Ruthless Records every day, hoping to reach E. After spending nearly 3 months in Los Angeles, they had received a call back from Eazy-E himself, and had the opportunity to rap for him over the phone. Bizzy handed the phone over to Krayzie. After he said his rap, he handed the phone back to Bizzy, who then said his rap, and Eazy-E was blown away. After that, he asked where they were based out of, and upon learning that they were from Cleveland, had mentioned he had a show in Cleveland in just two weeks. Now the group had to make it back from Los Angeles to Cleveland to meet Eazy-E.

After his Cleveland show, they met him backstage and rapped for him in person. He immediately knew that this group was about to be the next big thing. After hearing a song the group had called “Thugs in Harmony” Eazy-E suggested that it should be their name. Wanting to keep “Bone” in the name, they finally settled on Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

Soon after being signed by Eazy-E, the group recorded in LA with producer DJ U-Neek. In April 1994, their single “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” from their debut EP “Creepin on ah Come Up” was released with a video. In the song, they talked about life growing up in Glenville. The song quickly reached #2 in the rap charts, and set them on a path to fame not just in their hometown, but across the country.

As Bone Thugs continued to rise in the charts, Eazy-E approached them about signing a long term record deal. After the deal was signed, the group released the second single from their EP – “Foe tha Love of $” featuring Eazy-E.

Unfortunately, while working on their second studio album, Eazy-E had announced on March 16, 1995 that he had AIDS. Only ten days later on March 26, 1995, he died from complications at the age of 31. After the album – “E. 1999 Eternal” – was complete, they dedicated it to him in his memory.

After Eazy’s death, his widow, Tomica Woods-Wright took over the company as CEO. It was difficult for the group to get along with her and how she wanted to run things. This tension in many ways helped the group to get back in the studio and focus on recording and releasing the double album “The Art of War.”

Bone Thugs would go on to release 7 more studio albums over the years. (10 total as of 2020)

Throughout the 90s, their popularity soared, and they quickly became one of the most famous rap groups of all time. The group won the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist in 1998, and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band, Duo or Group in 2007. Their song “Tha Crossroads” won a Grammy Award in 1997 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In the same year, they won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Video of the Year for the same song.

Bone Thugs is the only group to have worked with 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun, and of course Eazy-E before their deaths. As of 2020, they have worked with many other artists, including Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Machine Gun Kelly, The Game, will.i.am and Akon, among many others. Twiztid had also recorded a song with Layzie Bone for their album “The Green Book,” released in 2003. Layzie has also worked with other artists such as Tech N9ne, Snoop Dogg, Swizz Beats, Dizzy Wright, Busta Rhymes, Young Noble and more.

Over the years, the group’s former mentor, Kermit Henderson has done a lot for the community, and continues to do so. He has continued to help aspiring artists grow and learn, or get noticed by labels, offering his knowledge through mentorship. In 1994, he founded the 80-store retail coalition SIMMS (Successful Independent Music Merchandising Stores).

Kermit now lives in Atlanta, where he works for ECMD International Music and Film Distribution.

As word has it, when things were entrusted to the wrong people, things went downhill for this former studio/record store, leading to its current state.

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