A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Wednesday honoring the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for a 35-year career that has brought them three chart-topping albums and a Grammy Award.
Rappers Ice-T and Fat Joe spoke during the ceremony at 6126 Hollywood Blvd., near Gower Street.
“Usually, you only see people like this, we only get together during bad times,” Ice-T told the crowd. “Let’s just applaud the fact that all Bone Thugs are alive, healthy and here.”
The ceremony was hosted by radio personality Big Boy.
“They remain one of the most influential and best-selling hip-hop groups of all time,” Big Boy said. “Matter of fact, I love to call these fellas veterans and relevant at the same damn time.”
The group’s members — Krayzie Bone (Anthony Henderson), Layzie Bone (Steven Howse), Bizzy Bone (Bryon Anthony McCane II), Wish Bone (Charles C. Scruggs Jr.) and Flesh-n-Bone (Stanley Howse) — made brief acceptance speeches.
“From the trenches to the stars, we’ve been through it all, through the fire and the rain,” Stanley Howse said.
“We came from a place where opportunities were way too limited, so to be here standing with my brothers is something that I don’t take for granted. All we wanted to do was share a particular sound to inspire the world, and I thank God for giving us another chance to celebrate together.”
Steven and Stanley Howse are brothers and cousins of Scruggs.
“All I ever wanted to see was my homeboys successful,” said Steven Howse. “All I ever wanted in life was for us to prosper.”
The ceremony comes two days before the group begins a concert tour at the Garden Amp in Garden Grove.
The star is the 2,851st since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.
Formed in Cleveland in 1991 as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e, the group became famous for its blend of rapid-fire rap delivery, melodic harmonies and emotional storytelling.
They were discovered by rapper Eazy-E of NWA fame, who was impressed by their style and signed them to Ruthless Records in 1993 and helped launch their national career.
Their breakthrough came with the 1994 extended play “Creepin on ah Come Up,” featuring hits such as “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “Foe tha Love of $.” The project introduced audiences to their fast-paced flows and harmonized vocals.
The group had its first No. 1 hit in 1995, “E 1999 Eternal,” which topped both Billboard’s U.S. chart and the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The group’s next album, “The Art of War,” released in 1999, also topped both charts, while its third album, “BTNHResurrection,” released in 2000, topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was second on the U.S. chart.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony received its first Grammy nomination in 1996. “E. 1999 Eternal” was nominated for best rap album. The single “1st of tha Month,” from “E. 1999 Eternal,” was nominated for best rap performance by a duo or group.
“Tha Crossroads,” a tribute to Eazy-E after his death in 1995, became a worldwide hit, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group in 1997.
“Receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a blessing beyond words,” the group said in a statement. “Coming from Cleveland, we never imagined that the music we created would touch so many lives around the world.
“This honor belongs not only to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but to our families, our city, our fans, and everyone who believed in us from the beginning. More than three decades later, we’re still here, still creating, and still carrying the legacy forward.”