Thug World Order is the fifth studio album by American hip hop groupBone Thugs-n-Harmony, released on October 29, 2002. This was the group's final album under Ruthless Records and have now created their own label Bone Thugs Records. Bone Thugs Records started off promoting their first two artist set for solo albums, LaReece and Bruce Hathcock. Tomica and the group met in Miami to record the album, as well as get on better terms. The group recorded five tracks while they were there. The first single released from the album was "Money, Money" and the second single released was "Get Up & Get It", featuring 3LW. The third single released from the album was "Home" featuring Phil Collins, which charted in the UK. Due to Flesh-n-Bone being sent to prison on weapons charges he does not make an appearance on the album. Not long after the album's release Bizzy Bone was ejected from the group leaving only Layzie Bone, Wish Bone & Krayzie Bone.
Critical reception
Like their previous effort BTNHResurrection, Thug World Order received more favorable to positive reviews from music critics. William Ruhlmann of Allmusic gave the album 2 and a half stars out of a possible 5 stating "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are a good example of a group that has become little more than a brand name as its various members devote more of their time to solo projects. Thug World Order is only their fourth proper album in seven years, although many solo albums and recordings by other configurations have emerged during the period. By now, however, every album by the group seems like a reunion effort, their last one being dubbed BTNHResurrection, while, on this album, one of the members mutters unconvincingly, "I ain't gonna say we back, 'cause we never left...." The group's musical approach hasn't changed much, its raps offset by vocal harmonies and its musical beds anchored by samples as surprising as Phil Collins' "Take Me Home." Lyrically, their concerns are also much the same, extending from boasting and reflections on life in the 'hood to complaints about low-quality drugs and the duplicitousness of women with whom they have had sex. But their attention seems distracted, especially when they interrupt the proceedings with commercials for their upcoming solo projects, and the album's disappointing initial commercial reception suggested that their audience wasn't paying close attention, either." Jon Caramanica gave the album a positive "B" rating stating "”How many thugs get down like us and still harmonize like the great Temptations?” the Cleveland foursome wonder on ”Guess Who’s Back.” Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have crooned lazy, tuneful hip-hop for a decade, and their fifth CD continues the psychedelia apace. They are the rare rappers who can sample Phil Collins, drop a Jeffrey Osborne riff, and praise God without seeming a bit less hard." Rolling Stone also gave the album 3 and a half stars out of, at the time, a possible 5.
Track listing
Appearances
Krayzie Bone appears on 14 tracks.
Layzie Bone appears on 13 tracks.
Bizzy Bone appears on 13 tracks.
Wish Bone appears on 13 tracks.
Flesh-n-Bone appears on 1 track.
Cut material
After September 11, 2001, Ruthless Records decided to drop many songs from the album for fear that consumers would be offended by violent imagery and anti-law enforcement lyrics late until 2004. All of these songs have since been leaked on the Internet, and have later on appeared on T.H.U.G.S., an independent album from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
"I'm Bone" 1
"No Luv 4 da Law"
"Can't Stop Us"
"Secret Agent Man"
"Remember Yesterday"
"Young Thugs"
Notes:
1 - Bobby Brown's vocals are removed on the T.H.U.G.S. album.