* En anglais uniquement
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