The Bone Brothers

by Stewart MasonWith Bone Thugs-N-Harmony keeping a low profile following their mid-'90s commercial peak, members of the Cleveland-born gangsta rap crew focused on their solo careers. Bizzy Bone (born Bryon Anthony McCane) became, in effect, the Ol' Dirty Bastard of the group, gaining more notoriety for his increasingly bizarre media appearances and self-admitted drug and alcohol problems than for solo albums like Speaking in Tongues or Alpha and Omega. Although Bizzy Bone's erratic behavior had gotten him thrown out of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on several occasions, bandmate Layzie Bone (Steven Howse) joined forces with him in 2005 for the duo project The Bone Brothers, featuring the single "Hip Hop Baby." Both members continued with their solo careers following this album, with Layzie Bone issuing It's Not a Game later in 2005 and Bizzy Bone releasing Thugs Revenge in early 2006.