Shortly after releasing their first studio album under the name B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e, the group tries to contact record executives in order to secure a deal. Among others, there's also Eazy-E: the group travels to Los Angeles to find him, returning home after several months, because the rapper is expected to arrive in concert in their hometown, Cleveland, Ohio.
In late 1993, the group meets Eazy-E, who signs everyone (except Flesh-n-Bone) with his Ruthless Records and changes their name to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In the following months, Flesh-n-Bone joins the group, which records their first EP and releases it in summer '94. Production is handled by DJ U-Neek, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, Rhythm D and the group. Eazy-E is the only accredited guest, singer Shatasha Williams and Jewell, who have been sampled twice, also take part in the project.
The EP opens with a dark intro on drum downtempo and continues with a short song, sung overbeat. "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" features DJ U-Neek's g-funk production, fat bass, cheerful synthesized keyboards, positive mood, good energetic and fast delivery of the group, interspersed with the chorus of Shatasha Williams, a Cleveland singer who almost casually joins the group in the studio for the song. This is the first single in their history, and it's a notable commercial success, reaching the top spots in rap songs and being certified gold the following year. The boys convince Eazy-E to shoot a video for the single in their neighborhood in Cleveland and the song launches the group's career. The next two tracks feature discreet rhythms from the former NWA, there's some squeaky random synths, hard and tight drums, dark touches, a quick rap of the group that continues to bring out generic gangster bars: the production is energetic, the delivery of the performers sounds functional to the rhythms and nothing more.
The title track boasts a singing hook, downtempo dry drum, mobb samples and soft g-funk synths that lay the musical carpet for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's decent quick rap. "For tha Love of $" is the second single and one of the best moments of the tape: soft production by DJ Yella and Eazy-E, lively and light drum downtempo, Jewell is a blessing, her contribution is extracted directly from the homonymous song by Yomo & Maulkie from their only album "Are U Experienced?" of 1991. Eazy-E delivers one of the rare verses written in his own hand, with a calm and velvety, relaxed style in one of his last songs. The disc is closed by a lush instrumental which is practically that of "For the Love of Money", again from the aforementioned album by Yomo & Maulkie, but with a different title: is a solo piece by Jewell, purely Jewell, a sensual rnb ballad powered by a guitar and whose single looped line is interspersed with moans.
Consisting of eight tracks and half an hour of listening, the EP is published by Ruthless and Relativity: it becomes a great commercial success for the group and the label, it comes close to the top ten in the pop chart, second among rap products and is one of the best-selling records between 1994 and 1995, being certified platinum four times by the RIAA in late 1995. Overall, the project is a good appetizer for their debut album, with ideal listening time and honest songs, although hardly anyone stands out in particular. 7/10.
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