BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY

Following the surprise success of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's 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. There are a few standout moments, most notably the Grammy-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 murder, 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."

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.