Flesh-n-Bone

Undoubtedly the most troubled member of the volatile Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Flesh-N-Bone struggled to release some spotty solo albums amid a series of legal problems. The brother of Layzie Bone -- the group's guiding force -- Flesh experienced instant celebrity status alongside his fellow Bone Thugs with the success of 1994's Creepin on Ah Come Up and 1995's E 1999 Eternal. The multi-platinum success of these albums and the resulting Grammy provided Flesh with the opportunity to record his debut solo album, T.H.U.G.S.: Trues Humbly United Gatherin' Souls, on the mammoth rap label Def Jam; unfortunately, the album didn't live up to expectations, selling poorly and receiving less than favorable reviews. Then in July 1997, around the time Bone Thugs-N-Harmony -- minus Flesh -- released their double album, Art of War, he was charged with assault and battery as well as with possession of an explosive after police raided his home, finding a stolen gun and explosives; Flesh also went into drug rehab in Los Angeles. A year later he served some time in jail for the previous year's probation violations. Though there was plenty of talk about Flesh-N-Bone's sophomore album (tentatively titled Book of Thugs) in mid-1998, the album didn't appear on shelves until October 2000 with a new title, 5th Dog Let Loose, and a new label, Koch. In September, weeks before the release of his album, Flesh was sentenced to ten years in jail for threatening a friend with an AK-47 in December 1999, his latest run-in with authorities. ~ Jason Birchmeier