Doing interviews can be a drudgery for some artists, but Flesh-N-Bone (real name: Stanley Howse) isn’t complaining. In fact, he’s thrilled to represent again on behalf of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the Grammy-winning hip-hop group from Cleveland.
“It’s a blessing,” Flesh said by phone last week from Los Angeles, where he now resides, as do group members Krayzie Bone and Bizzy Bone. Layzie Bone (Flesh’s younger brother) is based in Atlanta. Wish Bone still lives here.
PREVIEW
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
When: 9 p.m. Sunday, March 28.
Where: House of Blues, East Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.
Tickets: $27.50-$39.50 at the box of fice and livenation.com, or call 1-877-598-8703.
Their latest album, “Uni5: The World’s Enemy,” comes out Tuesday, April 27. It marks the first full-length release by the group’s five original members in more than a decade.
In the interim, Flesh spent eight years in prison — “my little purgatory phase,” he called it– for threatening a man with an AK-47 assault rifle. Flesh was released in 2008.
“I had to go through what I had to go through in order to grow, to learn and to become who I am, the man you’re talking to right now,” said Flesh, 36.
“The day I got out, they all came on the tour bus to pick me up. We went straight to the studio, all five of us. . . . We were all together, sharing each other’s energy.”
It’s unclear in what capacity (if any) Bizzy, whose struggles with alcohol and drugs are well-documented, will perform with the group on the road.
“It’s no secret: Bizzy is pretty much out in Bizzy’s world,” Flesh said.
“Bizzy might not make all of the shows, but he wants to be a part of certain ones. . . . I think Cleveland is one of the dates that he wants to make. But I don’t want to get caught up in anything where my word is taken as a promise. We’re still trying to iron out the details of his involvement with the whole tour.”
Flesh, for one, is looking forward to the homecoming gig.
“It’s going to be a ball, man,” he said. “I haven’t officially been home in Cleveland since the ’90s.”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s debut album, “E. 1999 Eternal,” came out 15 years ago. It went on to sell more than 6 million copies, bolstered by “Tha Crossroads,” a No. 1 hit.
“It seems like just yesterday,” Flesh said.
“We used to hang out on St. Clair, all over Cleveland. Rapping turned into a hobby. And the hobby turned into a career.
“Now we’re trying to grow it. . . . We’re not as reckless as we used to be, not half as reckless. We had to get wise.
“But we’re still coming with a lot of fire. I don’t think you’ll find any other artist today as hungry or as determined as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
“The challenges are greater, and so are the responsibilities. But I’ve got mybest foot forward. And I’m ready for anything. Story from the Plain Dealer.
