Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s longtime producer, DJ U-Neek discussed the first time he met Chris Lighty, who passed away in 2012 from an apparent suicide. In an interview with HipHopDX’s Live With Steve Lobel, the South Central, Los Angeles native said the two encountered while Ruthless Records was reeling from the tragic death of Eazy-E.
“Chris Lighty came in at a time where Eazy-E just passed and Ruthless was in shambles,” U-Neek tells Steve Lobel. “Nothing was getting done. My lawyer had a connection with Chris and was really just trying to keep me afloat with work. Chris came over to the studio where I was doing all the Bone records. What really sparked it off with him was how much I knew about him. I’m thinking, ‘This isn’t the same Chris Lighty from The Jungle Brothers?’ He fell in love with me from there. We started talking about doing a couple projects he had on Violator. We just connected. He really looked out for Flesh-n-Bone.”
DJ U-Neek produced the majority of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s classic material including “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” “No Surrender,” “Dayz Of Our Lives,” as well as the bulk of E. 1999/Eternal and double disc Art Of War. In the interview, he describes how he first began working with Eazy-E and Ruthless Records.
“Eazy-E was my mentor,” he says. “I would always see him at events but never approached him on business. There was so much going on so the timing was never right. I decided to take a tape up to Ruthless. He wasn’t there, but Jerry Heller was there. He said he’d make sure he’d get the tape to Eazy. Then Eazy called me. ‘This is Eazy. I heard the Beats For Sale. That’s the tape I gave him. He’s like, ‘Man, where you been? How come I don’t know you?’ He welcomed me to Ruthless Records. Dr. Dre had just left. From there we just clicked up and made history.”
U-Neek also details Krayzie Bone’s first reaction to hearing his production and notes him as the Bone member providing the group’s sonic direction.
“Krayzie Bone, he was the one that gave me direction,” U-Neek continues, explaining how he initially began working with BTNH. “I’m here doing tracks for Eazy and other Ruthless artists. He was asking, ‘Who’s the guy that did ‘Kuz Itz Like Dat?’ [by Menajahtwa]. They were signed through Yella. I did a track for them. I guess he already knew. They wanted a slow jam. Krayzie was like, ‘That’s the vibe we’re on.’ I just started hooking up some beats while Eric went to get them song clothes. When they came back, I pushed ‘Play.’ They went crazy. I’m playing ‘Creepin On Uh Come Up.’ I’m playing ‘Thuggish Ruggish Bone.’ I’m playing ‘Surrender.’ They’re going crazy. They hugging each other going crazy. From there, it was magic.”
The “Thug Love” producer commented on the state of today’s Hip Hop, describing this era as going through an “identity crisis” because everything sounds so similar.
“There’s really no separation,” he says. “When was coming up, Public Enemy, Leaders Of The New School—everyone had their own identity. Now everybody’s following and are scared to take a chance. It’s good as far as social media. You can get out there and blow yourself up as far as marketing. As far as the identity, as far as the sound—I can’t tell who’s who.”
Bone were great in the 90s but wu tang are the greatest ever without doubt. WU TANG FOREVER!!!
Naw my dude get out of here with that bs Bone thugs greatest rap group ever hands down
Bone Thugs had some classics but wu tang are more iconic, just sold a single CD for 2mil regardless of the politics. Wu tang are a bigger brand, have more solo stars, and a bigger back catalogue. Bone Thugs have had more commercial success but wu tang are more famous and more popular across the globe. All FACTS, do some research.
Bone has sold more records, got more hits, more classic, grammys etc other groups and rappers pattern there style after bone, kendrick lamar, freddie gibbs label bone thugs as there influnces. Youtube bone thugs in Australia and New Zealend 2015 they were over
there selling out arenas. You do some research while your at it youtube 1998 best rap artist at the American Music Awards, Bone thugs won over wu tang and P. Diddy. Also google who fans voted for on vibe as the greatest group since 1993 Bone beat out wu tang again, every time they go head to head Bone wins thats facts
more classics? maaan puhlease, don’t forget btnh patterned themselves after the WU with the contracts. They may have more radio hits, but hits in general, nah. Note: American Music Awards don’t mean nuthin, its a Popularity contest.
I know popularity is not always a indication of quality, but overall bone just appealed to a broader audience, Crossroads just trumps any single song that wu has done. Bone even has classic weed songs. They have emotional songs that touch people like crossroads, and then street anthems like thuggish ruggish bone, even there collabs were classic, notorious thugs, thug luv, riding dirty.
Fair point. Bone Thugs had more commercial success hence the awards but the industry was hating on wu tang back in the 90s they were more underground, still became the first rap group to go multi platinum, still doing it today after 23 years.
What the hell are you talking bone never follow wu with contracts, Bone sign a bad deal there first time around and by art of war they were able to re negotiate thats when they were able to get solo deals done with ruthless. Wu tang contracts are weird they have a pay
scale in there group based on popularity of each rapper in the crew. Wu tang will low ball there on members
Shout to uneek I love his work on the art of war I think he produce like 90 percent of that album
Bone Thugs beyond legendary, anybody that disagrees go drive on the freeway 100mph with your eyes close
The Art of War was raw overall I like it just as much as E99, DJ Uneek def underrated producers were talking thugs luv, days of our livez, crossroads dudes a beast
I was wonder why uneek wasnt involved in solo projects,
I thought ww 3 album was overlooked Dj uneek did some great work on that album
I didn’t know that Chris Lighty was the one that got Flesh on Def Jam, If Flesh could have a stayed out of trouble
He would have had a great solo career
Flesh first solo album went platinum on def Jam and then he went to jail a year or 2 later and never got the chance to drop a follow up on Def Jam
1999 Eternal was a fucking classic! If you dont know about U-Neek go check out that album.
one of my top 10 for sure; A main influence .
I thought DJ Uneek had died? I guess not. Sick producer who gave us classics
I was just listening to “THUG LUV” and my friend and I got into a heated debate about what gun was used on the beat, I say it’s a shotgun he says it’s a high caliber hand gun he says that he hears the hammer and spring cok back. I’m in this bet 100 so if Mr. Unique could be so kind and tell us for sure.