Thus said, it's refreshing to see a group, no, a family of rappers who made a bold promise to return to its roots to help others achieve the success they experienced - and actually kept their word. Enter Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and the launch of their own record label. Within just over two years since Bone rose from the mad-tough section of St. Claire and East 99th streets to the top of the hip-hop nation, they returned home to open the doors of their own Cleveland-based Mo Thugs Records, in conjunction with Relativity Records and Ruthless Records. Undeniably the biggest selling rap group of the past two years, Bone are showcasing their extended family of Cleveland-based artists through the release of the LP, Mo Thugs Family Scriptures. 

The Bone Thugs-N-Harmony saga began in '93 when Layzie, Krayzie, Wish and Bizzy, broke and hungry, but loaded with talent, confidence and the bravado to try anything to achieve success, boarded a bus to Los Angeles. Their destination was the offices of Ruthless Records, home to the legendary rap group NWA, whose founding member, Eazy-E, owned and operated the label. Bone auditioned over the phone but Eazy didn't get back with them. When Bone heard that Eazy-E was doing a show in their hometown, they scraped their money together and hustled back to Cleveland. They auditioned live for Eazy backstage and he signed them on the spot. Within weeks they were in the studio recording their '94 debut EP, Creepin' On Ah Come Up. They turned the hip-hop nation onto a fresh new style of rap and in the process, Creepin', fueled by the single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," sold over two million units. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony followed with the '95 release of the five times platinum LP, E.1999 Eternal which debuted #1 on the top of the pop charts and made more hip-hop history when their single, "Tha Crossroads," tied a record the Beatles set in '64 before Bone was ever born, as the fastest rising single on the charts. 

 Bone lived up to their famed "THUGS" acronym - "Trues Humbly United Gathering Souls" with their new label and its first release. According to Krayzie Bone who produced man of the tracks on Mo Thugs Family Scriptures, "the talent has always been there. Everybody on this album basically grew up with us, went to school ran the streets, whatever. It's all family. The important thing is that they were there before they made it." Adds co-member Layzie Bone on the formation of Mo Thugs Records. "Mo Thugs is the next step in building the Bone empire, and Ruthless and Relativity have proven they can take us where we need to go." 

Like Bone's own signature "thugs and harmony" style the Mo Thugs Family Scriptures all-Cleveland cast is a diverse group of talent that blends their own distinctive styles from rap and R&B to gospel and soul. The anthology includes: Tre ("Take Your Time," "Here With Me"), Poetic Hustla'z ("searchin' 4 Peace"), Graveyard Shift ("Killing Fields," "Rumors & War"), Souljah Boy ("Low Down"), Ken Dawg ("Ain't No Reason," "Playa In Me") and II Tru ("Ghetto Blues," "Welcome To My World," "II Tru"). They are joined by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Krayzie Bone's first solo effort ("Mo Murder") and the Mo Thugs Family ("Family Scriptures," "No Pretender," "Thug Devotion"). Layzie Bone's brother, Flesh-N-Bone, makes a special appearance on the all-star Mo Thugs Family's "Family Scriptures" and Graveyard Shift's "Rumors & War," while the three-member Tre are best remembered for their stellar appearance on Bone's "Tha Crossroads" single and video.

II True

Ken Dawg is perhaps best representative of the rise from hard St. Clair section. He was a true hustler, having been arrested for various scrapes with the law, but came to his senses through the greatest gift of all, his son Ken Dawg Jr. "I knew Bone through school and growing up in the streets. We'd kick a little flow, just trying to make up a little music, but now, we're rollin'. Our styles aren't similar, but it's all real. My heart goes out to my trues. I got much love for them."

Ken Dawg

Rebecca "Becky," Kimberly and Niko make up Tre. They met in school and started singing in talent shows and church. Becky says, "It just seemed that we had this natural sisterly harmony. We're not family, but we're just right for each other." While waiting for their chance to do their own thing, Becky and Niko worked at a group home, helping the disabeld and handicapped, while Kim worked in a local hotel. During that time "we practiced a lot and prayed" according to Becky. Their experience on "Tha Crossroads" helped Tre in the studio, where they arranged "Here With Me." Kim says of working with the Mo Thugs Family, "It really brings out the creative side of us. It's a challenge because, being from Cleveland, this kind of opportunity has never happened before, so we're taking advantage of it in a positive way." Becky concludes, "As individuals, we want to make a name for ourselves in Cleveland because there hasn't been a successful female group to come out of here that I can recall."

Tre

Through Mo Thugs Records, a promise is kept as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony prove themselves to be men of their word. The group is fulfilling their vision by building the Mo Thugs empire in order to take them and theirs to another level and it's all good. 

	Rest in Peace Tombstone
Graveyard Shift		Souljah Boy
	Poetic Hustla'z