Strength & Loyalty is expectedly solid, but by no means exceptional, but if you skip a few tracks (especially Bumps in the Trunk) you'll find yourself enjoying this. It features the classic Bone Thugs' flow, some typical beats you'd expect and some unconventional ones you wouldn't, and Gun Blast plays the 'track with gunshots' role quite well. While the album lacks classics on par with Thug Luv and Tha Crossroads, it's not without perks. On the whole, 'Strength & Loyalty' does a solid job at reminding people why the group is still around. Then again, if replaced, Flesh-N-Bone would find himself right back in jail as he'd inevitably murder Twista for taking his place. Well, at least the Game's appearance is solid.ДЇellow tongue-twister Twista (see what I did there?) appears on C-Town and seems right at home with the trio if they're looking to replace Flesh-N-Bone, Twista's the guy to do it. Streets also features the mandatory will.i.am appearance, and of course, will make the listener question just what is so special about him that mandates his appearance on literally every fuc king urban release in the last two years.

I guess her name looks good on paper though.Д«esides Akon, other strong cameos come from the Game, who adds some much needed west coast flavour on Streets, which conveniently enough touches on Bone Thugs' ever-present street cred. Mariah, if I wanted to hear whistle notes, wellвЂ¦I'd sooner kill myself than willingly listen to whistle notes. And, just in case you're wondering, the track (which is otherwise tolerable) ends with Mariah's godforsaken whistle notes. has Mariah Carey dishing out a bland, uninteresting verse with Bow Wow getting lots in the fray of more talented artists. Along with Akon and the abovementioned Swizz Beatz, 'Strength & Loyalty' features almost too many guest appearances.

He's also one of many guest appearances to be found on the album. With the absence of Bizzy, someone had to fill the void, and Akon's voice is just weird enough to do it. It's obvious why Akon is on I Tried, the first single. Actually, Akon's other appearance at the end of the record isn't all that painful either. Oddly enough, the next song is also pretty solid, if only for the fact that it somehow makes me enjoy Akon. Wind Blows goes beyond simply sampling Fleetwood Mac's The Chain by, in many cases, having the group simply rap atop the original, letting the original's chorus do its job. Continuing the back and forth nature of the album's quality, Wind Blow is up next and rivals Flowmotion for the strongest on the album. The first two tracks more or less set the album's effect in stone. I never thought I'd say this, but it actually reminds me of the Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Hump De Bump only somehow worse. The track, which features Swizz Beatz in a characteristically uncharacteristic cameo, builds off a sterile beat and one of the most abrasively subdued hooks ever. Don't worry though Bumps in the Trunk has the suck covered, giving the sceptics some ammo. Cynics were sceptical, at least partially, because the group, be it with their solo releases or their 'underground' ones, have been less than impressive in recent years. It also dispels nearly all cynicism rightfully surrounding the group, cynicism based partially on Bizzy Bone (who quit) and Flesh-N-Bone (who's in jail) not appearing on this album. But Flowmotion is not distracting, not even in the slightest it's one of the best tracks on Strength & LoyaltyДЇlowmotion succeeds thanks to its blend of something different and something you're used to. Bizzy Bone is gone because, well, he's completely fuc king insane.ДЇlowmotion does a great job at getting things off to a solid start with its grimy, distinguished and otherwise unique beat I, personally, have not known Bone Thugs to have such a bombastic backdrop, perhaps in fear of overshadowing their smooth, tongue-twisting flow. Flesh-N-Bone is in jail for jamming an AK47 in someone's face. 'Strength & Loyalty' is the group's latest release and features the line-up of Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone and Wish Bone. Maybe it's because they pull it off with such apparent ease, or and this is merely hypothetical, they're allowed to dabble in a smoother side of things because if you were to call them on it, you'd probably become the subject of one of their more explicitly gangster tracks. Singing, let alone harmonizing, is not gangster, and yet they're let off the hook. Songs like Tha Crossroads have the group singing and harmonizing evoking a very sad, sombre mood.

They get away with things they really shouldn't get away with. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony most definitely can. Very few rap ensembles can pair relatively hostile and otherwise gangster themes with a smooth, laidback sound. Review Summary: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony tongue-tie their way back into the public eye with Strength & Loyalty, an expectedly solid release that's by no means exceptional.

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