Review

BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY: I TRIED

When a group is responsible for a sound that defined an era, it’s sometimes hard to see them as being anything other than representative of the past.

Yet although this new single from Cleveland’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony could easily have been on any of their mid-’90s albums, the crew once championed by the late Eazy-E still sound as relevant today as they ever did. Perhaps it’s because before Nelly, Fiddy and Akon started rhyming harmoniously on hip-hop tracks, Bone Thugs had already been there and got the t-shirt.

With its gospel-pop piano lead, heavy drums and ‘inspirational’ double-time lyrics, ‘I Tried’ is basically a more mainstream version of the group’s previous hit ‘Tha Crossroads’ (although I’m sure hardcore BTNH fans would beg to differ).

All in all a pleasant release, but nothing world-beating from a once world-beating collective.
Words John Pitts