SWV, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Chingy, and Digital Underground

Originally formed as a gospel trio in 1990, members Cheryl Gamble, Tamara Johnson and Leanne Lyons sent out demo tapes of their recordings along with bottles of Perrier in the hope of garnering the attention of some record executives across America. In 1991 the group were invited to sing in front of a number of RCA label executives who ended up signing SWV on an eight album contract.

In October 1992 the group released their debut album “It’s About Time” which went double platinum in its first year of release and has since been certified diamond. Influenced by their church gospel harmonies producer Teddy Riley helped establish the group as a commercial force with the No. 13 debut single “Right Here” and the No. 1 hit single “I’m So Into You”. These were followed by the singles “Weak” and “Right Here/Human Nature” – a remix of their debut “Right Here” with Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” – which led to SWV having two No. 1 R&B singles in a row.

SWV’s follow-up album “New Beginning”, released in 1996 featured the song “You’re the One” which has become one of their most popular songs peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum and made way for their third studio album “Release Some Tension” a year later in 1997. “Release Some Tension” has guest appearances from a laundry list of reputable artists including E-40, P. Diddy, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, Snoop Dogg and Redman. Following the release came the Christmas album “A Special Christmas” in 1997 after which SWV announced their separation.

With the disbandment, members pursued their solo efforts with Cheryl Gamble or Coko releasing the solo album “Hot Coko” in 1999 and the full gospel album “Grateful” in 2006. In 2005 SWV returned, however the promised album never materialised but led to a number of live performances with the likes of Alicia Keys, TLC, En Vogue, Bobby Brown and After 7.

In 2011 the group signed with Mass Appeal Entertainment and E1 Entertainment through which they released the lead single “Co-Sign” ahead of their fourth studio album “I Missed Us” (2012).

The group started performing around the Cleveland area in the early ‘90s under several names such as The Band-Aid Boys and B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e. The group was fairly large containing five members: Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, and Wish Bone. They released their first album “Faces of Death” in 1993 under the guidance of Krayzie Bone’s older brother, but the album did not gain them the success they were hoping to achieve. After the group released their debut album they were persistently seeking to find someone who could give them a record deal. After much searching they finally caught the eye of NWA’s Eazy-E who signed them to his label and convinced the group to change their name from B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

In 1994 the group released their first EP “Creepin on ah Come Up” on Ruthless Records to commercial and critical success. The EP reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The EP contained the very popular singles “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “For tha Love of $”, which featured Eazy-E. The EP showed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony shifting styles from the hardcore and abrasive gangsta rap style to a more G-Funk style that was prevalent in West Coast hip-hop.

The year 1995 showed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony releasing their second album “E. 1999 Eternal”, which would become the group’s most popular album. The album has been certified 4x Platinum and reached the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was also a critical success having been nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album and The Source labeled it as one of the best rap albums of the ‘90s. The album contained the singles “1st of that Month”, “East 1999”, and “Tha Crossroads”. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were also praised for their melodic approach to rapping as well as the soundscape of the album, which included infectious G-Funk beats and dark uses of synthesizers.

After achieving mainstream success with their music career, the group started their own label called Mo Thugs Records that released albums for many Cleveland based artists. The group’s third album “The Art of War” was released in 1997 to commercial success and contained several unique collaborations, which included a song with Tupac Shakur labeled “Thug Luv”. The group’s fourth album “BTNHResurrection” also received commercial success, but it would be the last album that Flesh-n-Bone would appear on until their 2010 release “Uni5: The World’s Enemy”.

In the early 2000’s Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone, and Krayzie Bone would take a break from the group and each release solo albums. For the group’s 2006 album “Thug Stories” the group was only down to three members, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, and Wish Bone, but the album was well received and placed high on the Billboard charts. Their 2010 album “Uni5: The World’s Enemy” saw all original members of the group reunited again.

Over the years the group has collaborated with some of the most celebrated performers in the business including Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, The Game, Akon, and will.i.am. The group has also worked with some of the most well-respected rappers including 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and Big Pun. The group’s final album has plans for collaborations with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Mob. Their final album will only have one copy released, which will have a starting bid of $1 million dollars, and the album will be backed by a large world tour.

Many rappers come from, or would like you to think that they come from, “The Hood”. That’s nothing new and hasn’t been for a good couple of decades now, what is new is a rapper to come from a neighbourhood whose recognised nickname is “The Bad Blocks”. Hip-hop is all about coming up from nothing but all the same, it makes Howard Bailey Jr., also known as Chingy, pretty badass. After getting into music at an early age, Chingy was writing his first raps at the age of nine and recording them by the time he was 10. As time went on and he gained more experience as a rapper he took up the name H Thugz and joined the St. Louis hip-hop group Without Warning.

Even in a group that he didn’t have a hand in forming, Chingy was the standout artist among them, and soon after he changed his stage name from H Thugz to Chingy, he and Without Warning wrote, recorded and released the track “What’s Poppin’ Off”. The track was a hit around the Missouri hip-hop scene, and made them a state-wide name. This track bought them to the attention of fellow southern rapper Ludacris, who recognised the potential in Chingy and signed him to his recently founded label Disturbing That Peace. “Right Thurr”, a track that Chingy had demo’d for them, was chosen as his first single and released in May 2003. It’s safe to say that it was a damn good choice.

It says a lot that the only thing that kept Chingy of the number one spot of the Billboard Hot 100 was Beyoncé’s iconic “Crazy In Love”. Thanks to that track, “Right Thurr” stayed at the number two spot for four straight weeks, leapfrogging him into the spotlight as one of the hottest young rappers around. His debut album “Jackpot” was released in July of the same year through Capitol Records and was another huge hit, going platinum within a year of its release and giving Chingy two other top three hit singles. His run of success continued with his second record “Powerballin’”, which was released in November 2004 and was yet another platinum record for the 24 year old rapper.

Ever since then, Chingy hasn’t quite lived up to those commercial standards but who could? He still produces acclaimed albums and singles, and can still whip up a storm live thanks to his untouchable run of party starting hit singles. For that, he comes highly recommended.

Digital Underground first appeared in 1987 led by Greg “Shock G” Jacobs, Jimi “Chopmaster” Dright, and Kenneth “Kenny-K” Waters, however has its roots in the funk of the ‘70s. Initially inspired by the militancy of The Black Panthers, Shock G soon altered the group’s aesthetic to appeal to fun-loving and whimsical rap listeners. Issued in 1990, Digital Underground’s debut album “Sex Packets” was led by the modestly successful single “Doowutchyalike”. Featuring Shock G’s alter ego Humpty Hump, the album’s second single “The Humpty Dance” was a national success peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record became critically acclaimed, praised for its combination of samples and live instrumentation at odds to the rap climate dominated by Public Enemy and N.W.A.

The group’s membership had expanded by this point to include DJ Fuze, Money-B, Schmoovy-Schmoov, and notably Tupac Shakur, and released a debut EP, “This is an EP Release”, in early 1991. Tupac had initially appeared with the group as a dancer and subsequently a hype man before making his debut on the track “Same Song”. Digital Underground’s sophomore album “Sons of the P” was released later in 1991 peaking at No. 44 on the Billboard 200. Spawning the singles “No Nose Job” and “Kiss You Back”, the album is marked by an early guest appearance by George Clinton.

Following a successful tour, the group returned to the studio and released the explicit single “The Return of the Crazy One” in light of the burgeoning gangsta rap scene. The full-length “The Body-Hat Syndrome” was subsequently released in 1993 peaking at No. 16 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart. Failing to find a national market for their music, Digital Underground’s fourth studio album, “Future Rhythm” was independently released in 1996. The full-length “Who Got the Gravy” appeared in 1998, however failed to receive much attention, and was followed a decade later by ”..Cuz a D.U. Party Don’t Stop!”.