Right around the apex of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s career, Flesh-N-Bone was hauled off to prison to begin a nearly nine-year sentence on assault charges.
The year was 2000 and Bone Thugs had just dropped three consecutive platinum (or multi-platinum) albums — 1995’s E. 1999 Eternal, 1997’s The Art of War and 2000’s BTNH Resurrection. The first two debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while the third hit the chart at No. 2. Needless to say, Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy, Wish and Flesh were on top of the world.
But it all came to a screeching halt for Flesh the second those prison doors shut behind him. Suddenly, he was alone in a cell with only the echoes of adoring fans cheering for the beloved Hip Hop group ringing in his ears.
As Flesh wrestled with his fate, he had ample amounts of time to look back on his path and figure out what got him to Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California, over 2,000 miles away from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Flesh was discussing his forthcoming memoir when he touched on his struggles with addiction, which ultimately led to trouble with the law.
“We’re about halfway through the book and I’m going in deep detail about all of the stuff that a lot of people never knew,” he said. “I will give you a couple of seeds. Basically, when it comes to the addiction side of things, in the inception of our careers, everything was kicked off on the wrong track. And what I mean by that is that, even before we was going to make the decision to go out to California, I was figuring out for myself California was pretty much the place to be.
“Bone Thugs-n-Harmony wanted to make it, but I had people coming around, bringing sherm or PCP or whatever the case may be,” he remembered. “I tried it when I was in California by myself. When I went back home to get the rest of the Bone guys, it was dudes in the hood that knew we were on our way out to go try to do something big, so they were like, ‘Yo, yo, smoke this stuff. It’ll help you. It’s going to take your creativity to the next level.'”
He added, “We had guys knowing we were trying to make it somewhere in our lives, and these type of people kept coming around, feeding us this type of poison. And I feel that it took me off my square.”
[Phencyclidine or phenylcyclohexyl piperidine, also known as angel dust, is a drug used for its mind-altering effects. PCP may cause hallucinations, distorted perceptions of sounds and violent behavior.]
Little did Flesh realize he’d just unleashed a monster and his journey with addiction had just begun. Even when they finally signed with Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records and success seemed inevitable, Flesh couldn’t escape the drugs.
“When we finally got with Eazy-E, he had his homeboys coming the studio while we’re trying to work,” he continued. “He had his homeboys bringing the same shit, the same type of poison. They’d say, ‘Yo, smoke this. Smoke this.’ And that’s what really knocked me off my square. While I was in there, really trying to focus on writing, he had his homies coming to the studio, feeding us that poison.”
Flesh was barely out of his teens when Bone Thugs began their ascent to rap superstardom and needed guidance to keep himself out of trouble — but he didn’t get that. Instead, he was surrounded by people who would do anything for him, even to his detriment.
“I feel that a lot of folks kind of zero in on youngsters,” he says. “And a lot of youngsters that are out there in the industry, this is how they get caught up. They get these wannabe-ass n-ggas, these wannabe-ass superstars, you know what I’m saying? The people that’s around us always are these yes-men ass n-ggas that come around with these poisons. You won’t find not one artist today that don’t get caught up, because he’s surrounded by all of these yes-men ass people that feed them this poison.”
If Flesh sounds slightly angry, he is. He had to endure a lot of pain and suffering to get to a place where he can relax, even just a little. During a 2010 Bone Thugs reunion tour, he was picked up on a 10-year-old warrant at Cleveland’s House of Blues and thrown back in jail for several days before the charges were dropped. But he’s been staying out of trouble ever since. In fact, he’s quit drinking and smoking weed, which was huge for the “Budsmokers Only” legend.
Throughout all of his trials and tribulations, Flesh maintains a positive attitude and wants to be remembered for what he contributed to Hip Hop culture.
“I want to be remembered as one of the most influential Hip Hop artists that undoubtedly brought a innovative, fresh sound to Hip Hop, which we did do,” he says confidently. “We are remembered and immortalized right now because of our style of rap — that sing song-y, very high-melody, fast-tongue harmonizing. So that’s etched in stone as we speak. All you gotta do is turn on the radio and you can hear Bone Thugs-n-Harmony infused in every rapper in the world today, trying to use elements of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony for their own pattern or success, you see?
“I would like to be remembered as such, one of the most influential Hip Hop artists that changed the nature and style of Hip Hop, and brought a fresh face, sound and look to Hip Hop, forever to come. We was the guys that came in and brought that wild-style look, that wild edge. We was smoking weed and all of that stuff. Smoking weed was taboo. Wasn’t nobody doing it — well, besides maybe B-Real [laughs].”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Flesh-N-Bone Calls On Migos For Collaboration
Flesh recently dropped a video for his new single “Dedication,” a direct reflection of how he’s dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and loved ones dying around him. Much in the same vein as Bone Thug-n-Harmony’s multi-platinum hit “Tha Crossroads,” the emotion comes out with every word Flesh raps. As for his upcoming memoir, he expects it to drop by 2022.
Check back for Part III of the HipHopDX interview with Flesh soon.
Love flesh but some stories are better untold.
Marketing stunt and it’s not that bone talk bout these ok’d stories these people interviewing paying to hear them just like concerts they pay to hear them old hits bone catalogue is probably the longest in hip hop so they only tell or perform what pays!
Bone thugs are true legends!! Flesh has to take accountability for doing the drugs. Can’t blame someone else for offering. It’s not their responsibility to care about your well being it’s yours.
He was also an impressionable kid. And sorry, when you’re that age, your brain isn’t developed enough to make the best decisions. Anyone in the music industry also is well aware how many yes-men out there will bend over backwards to seem “cool” to an artist and unfortunately drugs are a big part of that. Now that he’s grown, obviously he’s figured out how bad it was for him. He was too young at the time to know any better.
Bone focuses on and talks about too many negative things from their past move on from it and leave it and the past, you grew from it and got through it.
My favorite group next to Mobb deep. Gotta be critical of Flesh N Bone, You can’t blame others
for your decision making. Should have been smart enough in the first place to not do drugs at all. Don’t blame the people that brought the poison blame yourself for not having the mindset to not use.
This fool acting like if they weren’t in the industry doing it that they wouldn’t have been doing it on their own. Plenty of zombies walking around in the real world doing the same shit. That’s on you if you don’t know that PCP is probably some shit you don’t need to be fucking with. I mean it’s not like Big Lurch didn’t happen right in front of you when you first got in the industry. If a mofo eating his girlfriend’s body parts didn’t deter you from fucking with that shit, nothing would have.
100% agreed. Being in the industry saved his life and prob going to Jail for 10 years did too. If they didn’t make it in the rap game he prob would have got on that stuff anyways and would have ruined him. Their are some crazy stories about Flesh, guns, shoot outs, crazy violent behavior, pistol whipping producers and neighboors in a upscale community. Him being in a legendary rap group saved him. He went to jail for 10 years and within a week of getting out he was performing at Club Nokia and then a few days later at Lakers old court the forum. Flesh also should be grateful to the group for keeping the name alive to where they could get money on tour. Could have been like most dudes that go to jail and come out with no opportunities at all. He came home to a golden opportunity up to him not to blow it.
In a DJ VLad interview, Big Lurch said he aint done that though. And there was not piece of flesh or organs found of that girl found in his stomach, it was like miniscule particles which he suspects got there as the people in the trap house he was staying at got him high and killed the girl and framed him, rubbed his Big Lurch face against the wound like “yeah youre not so hot shit now, are you” type of thing. He has no recollection. He says there was mad guns, money, drugs in the trap house but the place was clean when the cops raided the place. There’s some weird things about the whole case.. go listen to the interview yourself, he did it via phone from prison with DJ Vlad. I’m not saying he’s innocent or guilty, just saying there might be more to the case than we know.
Facts. Even the victims Mother said Lurch didn’t do it. His fingerprints weren’t found on the murder weapon either. The current working theory is that the girl’s ex boyfriend whom she had a very violent past with used to hang out with them and was there at the time of the incident. It’s thought he got Lurch extremely high so that he could take the fall. He basically killed her and framed Lurch for the murder since Lurch and the victim were very close and were supposedly in the process of pursuing a relationship.
Also his manager was some shady ass dude who named the album “Drugs made me do it” or something along the lines, quick to capitalize on the controversy. It’s a crazy and interesting case and we will probably never know how it all went down. Who knows, there is a real possibility of foul play.
Blessed and still angry. Made it out the streets and through a industry to be able to still tour and make money.
I’m going thru quitting my addictions atm n this article is leading me the right way. Peace n love to Flesh.
Props. You got this.
Thanks Kyle Eustice. Appreciate you
Yeah, PCP might be bad and all that. But I heard that it actually made them make good records. Bone gets real inspiration from getting high when they in the studio. So can’t say PCP was such a bad thing to them. At least you gotta know how to use it and don’t let it use you. Good to see they all survived it though. Now it’s time to move on. Bone thugs my No.1 favourites. Copped all they albums and stopped buying with the New Waves project. But I still love them though, their songs entertained me on a whole notha level it became like a cult. I wish them the best in life.
I think they would have made even better records without being high and more focused to take care of business. Flesh struggled with drugs and could have easily been in jail for like 20years with his record or it could have wiped him out, Bizzy struggled with some things as well even though bizzy doesn’t take accountability like Flesh, Bizzy tries to tell people now that he never was struggling, even if it was drinking he had some issues. I thought New Waves was dope, I know some old school bone fans only like when the hard stuff, but I think albums like New Waves show musical and personal growth. Also love Krayzie new album leaves of legend
lots of people smoked dust and nothing happened to them except a good time but people just spray up any parsley with bug spray and call it dust – stick with actual weed
Tap in some some good weee t doobie road dispensary on google
This group has been through a lot over the years. Good to see them make it through and still pushing, hopefully big flesh is done with the drugs and drank for good, seem to be focused since he got out.
Dedication is classic song!!! i hate the video but song is amazing!
Real Bone fans know that if it wasn’t for Flesh, Bone doesn’t make it and if it wasn’t for Krayzie their name would’ve faded. When Flesh went to jail and Bizzy lost focus and stop showing up, Krayzie Bone put that group on his back and carried them
Wait a minute! That’s a whole fkn lie! If it wasn’t for bizzy mobbin and putting out all those albums and videos on YouTube I’m almost certain bone would’ve faded into oblivion. If it wasn’t for bizzy mobbin, bone isn’t getting with swizz beats and putting out loyalty and strength. Also, bone got fans that hinder them too, that’s a theory I have.
Come on my guy you can’t be a Real bone fan, sounds like just a solo bizzy fan. Bizzy put out horrible independent albums that made the bone brand watered down. He put out like 7-8 solo’s from 03-08 A song for you was the only decent one the rest were terrible but Bone fans still supported. Krayzie verses on spit yo game, I don’t give a f, Riding Dirty with Chamillionaire made rap fans realize Bone was still a force, bizzy was busy doing erratic interviews, not showing up to shows, and occasionally when he did he was so drunk he would slur and forget his lyrics. Bizzy wasn’t even apart of the deal with Swizz. As a matter fact Bone had a deal on the table with Dr Dre Aftermath/Interscope Bizzy didn’t show up to the 2 meetings and it made Bone look unstable. But Interscope was still interested. So they did the Full Surface/Interscope deal and move on w/o Bizzy because his behavior was threaten their deals. Bizzy loves to tell his solo fans why he rarely shows up or wasn’t showing up it’s always someone else fault, he never takes responsibility for his behavior or the fact he has substance abuse issues. I always support Bizzy, but that doesn’t take away from his lack of self awareness, over arrogance behavior.
Wow, this story is so deep, this bone thug story man. I always knew bone dabbled with the sherm as it was big in hoods in cleveland and on the west coast. I always wanted to know how sherm came into the picture with bone, as each member talks about their use of “wet” or “sherm” throughout their career in various songs. It also makes sense that Eternal had such a mystic vibe and their earlieer use of sherm possibly could have affected that creativity. Flesh first solo album was a classic gem in the bone catalogue, and a very mystical album as well. His PCP use, i’m sure influenced some of those songs as well (51/50 skit, etc. The beauty of the bone thug story is that, you can see the redemption and spirituality, Praising God throughout even their darker times. It shines through their music, and they have remained blessed in the game, and legends and continue to impact the lives of fans like myself, in a positive way!
You right about that first solo T.H.U.G.S, it came out of Def Jam because Flesh wasn’t sign to Ruthless. It was a underrated album
Glad Flesh n Bone made it through the darkness. That stuff is hard to shake. Going to prison probably saved his life as crazy as that sounds.
Bizzy has made the same claims, minus the PCP. He said Tomica would drown them in weed & alcohol to keep them “fucked up” so they’d make bad business decisions. Even has a lyric: “Eazy was my nigga/but Eazy gave me all the liquor/I was only 16” (“Don’t Doubt Me,” The Gift).
So not a new revelation. And yeah it’s messed up for your employer to bring you Schedule I drugs or supply alcohol to teens. It was a different time and these were “hood kids” but that doesn’t excuse it. At the end of the day though, Eazy & Ruthless did more good for Bone than harm. I’m sure they’d all agree.
It said it was 2000 Bone just finished dropping 3 consecutive platinum albums. I guess creeping on the come up is a EP so do they consider that a album?? Also if you throw in compilations and solo’s it would have made it 9 straight platinum releases by 2000
Why say anything negative about some one who passed one? Flesh the most boring out the crew. His book won’t sell just like his album.
If it’s true why can’t he say it?? I’m a Eazy E fan and this doesn’t seem to be a negative blow to Eazy. A lot of artist R and B, Rap, Rock were using. It goes both ways Eazy should have had a more control stable environment for his young artist and Flesh didn’t have to use he made his own mind up. But Eazy changed and saved their lives, the drugs would have been there no matter what label they were with. You think Flesh is the most boring? You never heard wish? Legendary artist rarely sell many records or books, even the hot young artist rarely sell, Legends or artist that have made their mark get money from tours, merchadise, royalties, features
Need another Bone album or Krayzie solo. Leaves of legend was extremely dope!