Members of Bone Thugs N Harmony are clearly at Tha Crossroads. When you’ve been in the game as long as they have, you either continue to weed out your longstanding core of fans, or you adapt to the current soundscape.
Bone royalty Krayzie and Bizzy opted for the latter by teaming up as Bone Thugs for the appropriately titled New Waves. The album finds the Cleveland vets alternating between reflection and recreation over club-ready tunes.
Disclaimer: This ain’t your daddy’s Bone. Want ominous ivory tickles and creepy basslines? Too bad; you’re getting thumping bass and soaring robo-rhythms. Krayzie and Bizzy sound surprisingly comfortable over these updated sonics, but maybe it shouldn’t be so startling because their melodies have always been on point. “That Girl” is a catchy ode to a fallen relationship that will ring in your ears like post-concussion. Meanwhile, “Good Person” is universally relatable in its self-doubt. “It really makes me wonder how I don’t go under/Tryna stay alive and survive through this thunder storm/But what did I do, what did I do wrong?” Krayzie ponders. Krayzie’s and Bizzy’s rapid-fire flows are still intact, but they sometimes slow it down to fit the mood. This versatility belies growth and the duo’s ability to adapt like a phone charger. Speaking of phones, these two can’t help but cheese out on occasion. “I Wish Heaven Had a Cell Phone” attempts to be deep but can’t get past Mary Kay levels of superficiality. “Whatever Goes Up” is emotionally genuine, but rhymes like “So I went out and got me some/And when I got it, make sure that I got a lot of it/’Cause life you can only live it once,” are as rap-by-numbers as it gets.
Bone Thugs is transparently aiming to not only update themselves, but also to reach the frat boys and sorority girls at your average Kappa Sigma. The troubled sentiments of “Bad Dream,” which finds our heroes caught in a nightmarish relationship, is just the kind of theme that degree chasers can relate to. However, even though “Coming Home,” featuring Stephen Marley is an inspiring intro and the lead single, it lacks the oomph to get a keg party going. This begs the question; will Bone be able to tap into the hardcore partiers? It’s possible (see the unprecedented terrority of “Bottleservice”) but may prove difficult since they’re competing with rappers like Drake and Big Sean, whom these college kids consider their contemporaries.
Wisely, Bone Thugs don’t totally abandon their conceptual roots and include “Cocaine Love,” on which the verses serve as a metaphor for addiction the way 2Pac’s “Me and My Girlfriend” was about love affairs with guns. Bun B is characteristically blistering through his verse, spitting coldly “Now you recognize you lookin’ like a simp/And I sit back laughing ’cause I’m the bitch’s pimp.” Bone blood brothers Layzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone also provide strong turns on “Ruthless,” but it’s Eric Bellinger’s emotive hook that will have you saying “I’m not crying, there’s something in my eye!” Bone Thugs goes overboard with odes to fallen friends on this album (see: “I Wish Heaven Had a Cell Phone,” and the admittedly strong “Change the Story”) but they hit the bullseye on this cut. Everything from the group’s endearing love for their late mentor Eazy-E to the wistful horns that close the track are both chin-up expressions and an allowance for sadness.
Maybe Bone Thugs didn’t switch up solely out of necessity, but because they’re older, wiser, willing to leave the bullshit in the past. And they succeeded. Even with its at-times cheesiness, New Waves is a fun, impactful statement of where the original machine-gun spitters are today.
Album is fucking fire
great but it’s not e.1999
Was It suppose to be???? Eternal came out like 22 years ago, even if it was like Eternal people would be saying it sounds old
and they can’t adjust which by listening to this project they sound fresh and motivated.
Best Bone thugs album ever musically. E99 was amazing but I just prefer more uplifting music like on this new album
Really good album
Another great project on the Bone catalog
I was shocked when I listen to this album, because it was a fun album I was expecting to hear some hardcore
shoot up type stuff, but got a laid back smooth album, first fun album I have ever from anything Btnh has done
their albums usually are good but at same time border line depressing with the dark gloomy stuff. Hopefully this
is the direction they keep going in.
Generic as fuck, never thought i could hate a bone thugs album…
I’ve seen some Bone Fans complaining about this album, which if it was the only Bone related album release I can
understand but Besides New waves, Krayzie dropped Eternal legends and Thugs Brothers 2 which were good too not close to New waves IMO but good work that should have satisfied fans that wanted hardcore stuff
New Waves makes up for CTD I damn thought it was over after listening to that Because Kray is
easily the most talented member and if he could put a good album together than it seemed a little hopeless
CTD was too dark and erie got tired of hearing about that end of the world stuff it’s not inspiring but this album def is
Amazing Work!!
I want a New Waves 2 with same producers
Yeaaah
The best album of the year
Bone Bone Bone Bone Bone Bone Bone Bone!!
Another example of the versatility Bone has to make any style of music! Waves and Ruthless give us a taste of what Bone has to offer, and the future looks bright!
I liked Fantasy, That Girl, Waves, Cocaine Love & Ruthless. Had this been an EP with just those tracks, it’d be a 5/5 for me. Too many songs where they tried something but it just didn’t work. At least, IMO.
5/5
Amazing album! I haven’t put it down since it came out.
HEAT
Only song I didn’t like on the album was my way The rest were really good especially If heaven had a cell phone, good person,
Whatever goes up, Change the story, Gravity and Waves
My way is dope..did u like bonus track dont let go..beautiful song
Yea I love that song funny thing about it is I didn’t hear it until like 4 days after first hearing the whole album I pre ordered the CD from amazon got it on 23rd but never opened was just listening to it on spotify. I love don’t let go really positive uplifting joint. This is the Bone album I’ve been waiting for because it’s imo a very inspiring motivational project. BTNH is my favorite group, and I love the other members but I hope Kray and BB do some more albums together.
Not really getting how DJ khaled album got a 3.8 and this has a 3.7 this album was way better easily
As a die hard Bone fan this cd a let down
Why was it…please amuse me …then put in waves n turn that shit up..u must want some mo murder music right..bet u dont even know the lyrics
How u deal with issues . Knowing ill banana clip u…dead friends so many tissues u know i miss u
Bizzy whatever goes up
Niccas clist to 50ant nobody mo murder no more they from the streets but they not in it support or subtract ur fanship niccas
It IS FANTABULOUS ! I DON’T SEE WHY THERE IS SO MUCH HATE…. people need to understand WTF REAL MUSIC IS! AND THIS NEW WAVES WITH SONGS LIKE ( IF HEAVEN HAD A CELLPHONE .. GOOD PERSON ft JOELLE JAMES.. COMING HOME ft STEVEN MARLEY .. .. THAT GIRL ft KACI BROWN FANTASY FT JESSIE RANKINS ….LET IT ALL OUT ft JAZZE PHA ???? IS THAT FIIIIRE.. ???N THEY DID THIS FOR ALL OF US 2 ENJOY ..N ACTUALLY APPRECIATE THEIR MUSIC .. ACUAL MUSIC… REEEEEAL MUSIC . JUST BECAUSE THERE IS NO BITCHES N TITTIES N PPL DYING IN THEIR MUSIC N VIDEOS Y ALL THINK IT IS NOT GOOD CUZ OF THAT ..??? WAOW …
BTNH WILL ALWAYS B THE SAME AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED N WILL CONTINUE 2 B BAD ASS… JUST BECAUSE they kinda changed they style of OF THE PICTURE SLASH VIDEOS DON’T MEAN THEY ARE NO GOOD ….. THEY STILL THE SAME N THEY WILL ALWAYS HAVE THAT BAD ASS WAY 2 FLOW THE WAY THEY DO !!!THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED !!! THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS THEIR AGE ! N PEOPLE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT THEIR AGE CHANGED N THEY HAVE FAMILIES BUT STILL GET DOWN !!!!! N PUT IN ALOT OF TIME N DEDICATION JUST 2 MAKE US FANS HAPPY.. .. N WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO .. FUCKIN HATE .. SMFH!
Well said
Like it or not them Bone boys still got it in their 40’s now. This album has something for everybody, with a diverse high quality, well mixed production. If you want to hear their true sound but with 2017 in mind, listen to songs like Waves, Changed The Story, My Way, and Don’t Let Go. Every song is radio worthy but sadly they would be lucky just to get one of these to catch fire. They is already 5 music videos ready and will be one for every song. Listen to this in headphones and in the car a few times to let it grow on you before judging too soon.
Dis ulbum is terrific, so awesome. Those dat find it difficult 2 notice dat needs 2 get dem selves checked up coz once u have de ulbum u never wanna listen 2 other tracks except for Bone Thugs n harmony – New Waves This ulbum is a bang jst can’t stop praising it. A very long round of applause for Bone for maintaining their spot in de game.
New Waves is Fresh
Fresh album couple hooks I don’t like but over all very solid album
love it , but some people might say , this is no bone thugs like they use to be , well simply coz those listeners expected the E. 1999 Eternal album that fits 2017 , but I would say this album is a good one with less rap and more music variety
“New Waves” is an instant Classick… I’ve been a fan since the first track I ever heard “No surrender”. And as Bone grows I grew with them..this album is refreshing…two steps in the right direction… Bone thugs-4-life!!!
APPALING this soundslike a goddamn KATY PERRY X MAROON 5 album, no memorible lyrics, little harmonies.
Horrible horrible cheesy pop music.
board room meeting – “who produced lupe fiasco’s LAZERS??? Lets have him do the album!”
This album shows how much bizzy and krazy have grown…… I appreciate the maturity and the artist and how much their sound has evolved …. this isn’t bone that I grew up with over 20 years ago this is bone now…. open your mind and listen to the lyrics…. the art of story telling … mad props to bizzy and krazy…btnh 4 life
I started to listen to it 3 times and I had to stop it 3 times at the 1st track around 0:20 because it was so syrupy, so lovey dovey and so wack.
forgot to rate
Best Btnh album I have heard that include East 1999
It’s more versatile than E99, my favorite Bone thugs was always Art of War because I felt like they show a lot
of versatility on that album. This album is Better than Art of War to me type of music you can put in and Ride for Hours
my only complaint about New Waves is some songs should have had 3 verses were maybe they harmonize like how Bizzy did on
whatever comes up, when bizzy hits that as long as were still standing we’ll be family that song blew me away.
New waves new sound ..same bone thugs
love it , music diversity, each song represent a challenge to them to bring it that way , opposite of what people might expect to be E. 1999 the old Bone thugs , but i would say that time is not the same anymore and those bone thugs fits well in this with this album.
Great album from bone thugs. Its different but overall great music. They still got it. The originators of the flow that everyone uses today. I hope this album does well.
Refreshingly fullfilling !!!
Great album. Anybody know the sales and streaming numbers?
Anybody know where it debuted? Streaming numbers?
I think the numbers come out this Tuesday, I would assume prob will like 5 or 6 on rap charts, prob do like 15k-17k. I was wondering
why they didn’t put any of their videos on Worldstar. They shot vids for like 7 songs already and are going to do more. I know a lot of people consider WS like a ignorant site but it is important to hit on all top hiphop/rap related sites when releasing content. If heaven had a cell phone should have been on there, also Krayzie Bone solo song make you wanna get high. But with all that being said New Waves is a great piece of work
Agree 100%.
I like it. Not sure if I need a whole album like this. This is Bone Thugs so we expect that wicked shit in addition to the harmony. Eh whatever. If they could take this album and fuse it with their first EP, it would be hot as fuck. But it at least is listenable to all the way through – hard to get from a group that started in 91.
The album as a whole is dope. Took me a few plays but appreciate it more as I hear it more. It has a few corny hooks/verses but its minimal and definitely dont ruin the over all album. For example “wish heaven had a cellphone” is a decent song but its corny to me and it’s hard to get past that thought when I listen to it. But all in all its still a dope record and finally a full Bone Thugs album with great production and verses. There’s so many songs that all the members have put out over the 20+ yrs that sound like garage made music so its refreshing to hear the entire album with true production & focus. Lets hope they keep it up. 4.2/5
Agreed this is easily the best produced Bone thugs related project ever. Thug Mentality was good also.
takes similar risks as big boi, but this site hated that project. so it goes. as for this album it’s no worse than big boi’s, but it’s too emo for my tastes. sounds like they really wanted to rap over Little Dragon or Toro Y Moi beats seasoned with radio-friendly bridges and hooks but were forced to do home-made versions. their delivery is razor-sharp though!!! A for effort, T for nice try!
Beautiful album… it is refreshing and new. I really hope it gets the props it deserves.
merging the old with new. not bad but could do better, but that tank joint and gravity are dope
Love this album
This album is 5/5
Best album possibly ever
Fire to the third degree
average at best , Too much pop cheesy stuff 2.5/5
Too much pop cheesy stuff. But none of the lyrics or content have anything to do with pop..fuck u for not listening to lyrics
This is no fucking way a 5/5/ album
Dope album..wack review by dx..but who cares..bone is the shit
Wwwwooooow..this is bones summer..all yalll hating jus go n hear the lyrics…so u want to deal with issues knwn ill bananna clip u..dead friends so many tissues u know i Miss u
Album of the year
Been a fan of bone since when I was 15 (I’m almost 34 now) and this is one of their best albums in my opinion. I’m old school and I got a physical copy of it at bestbuy this morning. I really enjoyed listening to the entire album. “Waves” is my favorite track but I’m a bit disappointed at Wish, his verse was too short just like on the Everyyhing 100 single from a few years ago. He could have done better but the track is the best one. I was surprised that Jonathan Davis of Korn made a song with Bone, but I could barely hear his vocals on the song “whatever goes up”.
I also would like to add, for those of you who have purchased the physical copy of the album, read Bizzy’s “Thank You” note. I found it strange… I know he’s always been spiritual but, it seems like he practices multiple religions… I don’t know, maybe I could be wrong but I think he is being misled by these false religions. Bizzy, if you’re reading this… There is only one true God almighty, and that is Yahuwah… And the name of his only begotten son is Yahushuwah, our savior.
Anyway, for bone fans who only loved e. 1999 and/or creepin on a come up, you probably won’t like this album unless you appreciate all kinds of styles of music. This album is great! It’s very positive. (It’s not dark or gangsta). Get the physical copy (with bonus track)!
If you will download it, download LEGALLY. Support Bone Thugs! 🙂
BTNH fan since 96 and il love this album, yes it is more pop than any other album they have done but every song has substance and a story behind unlike most of todays garbage! Bone can make any style awesome! they are once in a a lifetime talents… appreciate them while they are still with us… Krayzie and Bizzy the GOAT imo! Long live Bone Thugs N Harmony! Ruthless/Good Person are my two fav tracks.
Love this album…. I was skeptical at first but it’s really good…
This was pretty good…. Gotta give it a relisten though
This album is fire
5/5
sooooooooooooooo dope
cant stop spinning
Best album of 2017!!!
Definitely one of the biggest surprise s apart from Tribes We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service….I’m talking to the old school, true school…
This album is full of hits!!!!
(I started to do massively 91/93 too, as a little) I check the net for the’m like one time a 10 y. Now I get the cover on the top of Bone results in ishop (I-in-shock) on a small screen, DIDN’T TAKE it for Bone, for a few days I’m taking it for some misresult or an alike named radio ladidadi act or sth, or then I wonder maybe some Usher, hattie, I’m happy, club alone took to mix real Bone?!!! You say its true to its cover/script, just this just repulsed me feeling Seeing everybody at the Cohssmohss~~ Rest of the Days of my Live (21 cent) ain’twont be lovely~~…
5/5 quality and i like when old cats do an up do date album
been a bone thug fan since DA 90s but dis album here I luvvvvvvvvvvvvvv it keep up DA gud work. N about time I been waiting to hear Krayzie n Bizzy do a album together ??????? I give y’all 100
I give the CD 5 out of 5. Been a fan for a long time, and all they do is get better. It is a shame they don’t received the credit and exposure that Bone should. They are truly “National Treasures”, proving anything is possible.
This album does everything bone is capable of. Krayzie and bizzy go hard on this album you can’t keep bone thugs down.
People need to give the album a chance and a good listen before saying anything.. the album is actually fire! Won’t like them all but you will surely find something to bop ya head to! Listen to the album with a open mind.
It’s impressive that they so easily transitioned into this style and I can’t possibly give it a bad review even though I want to. They should avoid this avenue for their future releases. Fuck the frat boys and girls, stay true to your established fan base.
Good album, more upbeat with a club, electronic feel… Personally this was a nice step aside from the usual, and alot of songs were put together right, with an exception of 2 or 3 choruses that were okay, due to the singers chosen but not Krayzie and Biz, as they both handle the album like vets in their prime…I personally would like to hear a Flesh And Bizzy album, but Krayzie has a talent for creating sum catchy hooks…he is the hook king…lol…A Heavens Movie Pt 2 or Thug Mentality 2 would be great, even a New Waves Pt 2 would be great…I’m feeling their modern sound..Good album, and if u haven’t peeped Bone in a while I would recommend Art Of War 3, but this New Waves album is the Best from Bone in a while…It’s up there with Creepin On A Come Up, E 1999, and Art Of War…The best thing since Heavens Movie and Thug Mentality…
They purposely put this out for people to dislike, but buy anyway…and kill themselves to like it. The album sucks worse than any Layzie solo after Thug By Nature.
It took a couple of years after the release until I managed to listen to this. For the first and the very last time. The album is so horrible that it even makes you reconsider listening to their old classics again. It surely has the modern electronic club sound feeling to it, but it never works out as a hip hop album. Just pure mainstream pop crap which is so far where these guys started that I will probable never again check any of the projects coming from the Bone Thugs family. What next?! Making hit songs with Maroon 5?