Good Songs People Forget About: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, "Tha Crossroads"

"He comin again and again and again/ Now tell me what ya gonna do/ Can somebody anybody tell me why he died,we die,I don't wanna die........"

I've decided to start off the "Good Songs People Forget About" category of this blog with "Tha Crossroads" for two reasons. First, I have recently started listening to this song again, over and over, nonstop, and I have mentioned this in passing to many people. Usually the conversation goes something like this: "Hey, remember that Bone Thugs song 'Tha Crossroads'? Yeah, that song's amazing."

Blank stare.

"No, come on, you remember, 'Crossroads', with that crazy video with the ghosts? In, like, '97?"

"...What's a bone thug?"

Seriously, NO ONE I have talked to about this song remembers it, and that would perfectly okay if I didn't recall how that song was freaking EVERYWHERE when it came out. Like, it spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard singles chart. The single sold two million copies. It won a goddamn Grammy! Surely someone must remember this song, and because it seems as if no one does, I'm here to refresh.

The second reason I'm gonna talk about "Tha Crossroads" is because it is a fantastic song, and holds up as one of the best rap singles of the '90s. Bone Thugs N Harmony can never be placed in the same breath with Biggie, Wu-Tang, or Nas when it comes to artistry, and I think that's why this song has been neglected over the course of history. Most of their songs feature lyrics that are either too forgettable or too hard to decipher, since everyone in the group raps so damn fast. They've released a handful of albums in the past half-decade that no one has paid any attention to, and they lack the mainstream charisma of an ass-bag like Diddy. Bone Thugs are, let's face it, no longer relevant, and probably won't receive another 15 minutes.

Still, we have "Tha Crossroads". The song itself is a tribute song to those who have passed (it is specifically directed at Eazy-E and a few other guys). To bring Diddy back into the equation, compare this with "I'll Be Missing You", a like-minded tribute song, and you'll notice a huge difference: unlike Sean Combs' praying-for-profit approach, "Tha Crossroads" is a completely selfless track, the rarest of hip-hop songs. It is a song about death and change, and the way we use religion to heal ourselves while grieving. These are both familiar themes in music and huge issues for a posse-cut single to tackle in less than four minutes, but Bone Thugs don't get bogged down with heavy diatribes or vague messages. It touches on general ideas, but also remains very personal, making the listener understand what these guys have gone through and reflect on past experiences as well. Take this line, which comes about halfway through: "And still keepin up wit they family/Exactly how many days we got lastin, while you laughin we passin', passin' away/God rest our souls, cause I know I might meet you up at the crossroads". It's so simple to relate to nearly everything in these lines: Trying to support a grieving family; wondering when our time will come; hoping that, somehow, we'll be able to see the faces of those who have already left us. "Tha Crossroads" never feels hollow or, worse yet, sarcastic; Bone Thugs do not want to hide the fact that, when it comes to death, they are angry, confused, and terrified, and it all feels authentic.

The lyrics are great, sure, but the way "Crossroads" is gonna knock your socks off is with its structure/sound. The song blends hip-hop and r&b the most successfully I may have ever heard. Each verse more sing-song than sharp spitting, and while this typically detracts from the rapping, here the members of Bone Thugs ride a vocal melody that complements their crazy-quick flows perfectly. The entire song sort of ebbs and flows, with short stabs of harmony breaking apart each rhyme, and the effect is so stunning that I can't understand why it hasn't been duplicated yet. The song's structure is pretty basic on paper: intro, verse, half-chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus. If you listen to the lyrics during the sing-along choruses, however, you'll see that they create a perfect balance with the verses. Each verse expresses a certain frustration with the inevitability of death, and the chorus begins with a simple harmony and the phrase, "Hey, and we pray/ Every day, every day, every day". This is done to illustrate a complicated relationship with religion: even when they feel bitter at the world, they persist with prayer, partly to receive comfort and partly to be able to see those they miss in the next life. The first full chorus explodes with "...see you at the CROSSROADS, so you won't be LONELY", and the song becomes an anthem before leading into the inescapable lament, "And I'm gonna miss everybody". There are so many mixed emotions here about death, because there have to be; we all feel them. It's just that Bone Thugs n Harmony has boiled them down into five-word phrases that are surprisingly powerful.

Look. I'm not calling for a Bone Thugs n Harmony takeover of rap, or even that they have another hit song (it would probably be about bitches or weed, and I'd get depressed). I'm just saying that "Tha Crossroads" has an unbelievable amount of ambition for a rap song, or for any kind of song for that matter, and it has the harmonies to back it up. Jesus, the execution of this song is pretty flawless. So come on, listen to "Tha Crossroads", for your first time or your fiftieth. Even if you hate it, you'll get to hear the line, "Damn man, I miss my Uncle Charles y'all", and that's something we can all agree on.