E. 1999 Eternal is the second studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It was released through Ruthless Records on July 25, 1995.
The album was released four months after the death of rapper Eazy-E, the group's mentor and the executive producer of the album. Both the album and single "Tha Crossroads" are dedicated to him. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone", it became a popular album, and received positive reviews from music critics, earning praise for the group's melodic rapping style and is largely considered a Hip-Hop classic. The album title is a portmanteau of the then-future year 1999 and Cleveland's eastside neighborhood centering on East 99th Street and St. Clair Avenue where the group is based.
E. 1999 Eternal became the group's best-selling album, with over six million copies sold in the United States and ten million worldwide. It topped the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks. The album was nominated for the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, ultimately losing to Naughty by Nature's Poverty's Paradise at the 1996 Grammy Awards. In 2015, the group toured in support of the 20th anniversary of the album, performing it in its entirety for the first time.
Track listing
- 1. "Da Introduction"
- 2. "East 1999"
- 3. "Eternal"
- 4. "Crept and We Came"
- 5. "Down '71 (The Getaway)"
- 6. "Mr. Bill Collector"
- 7."Budsmokers Only"
- 8. "Crossroad"
- 9. "Me Killa"
- 10. "Land of tha Heartless"
- 11. "No Shorts, No Losses"
- 12. "1st of tha Month"
- 13. "Buddah Lovaz"
- 14. "Die Die Die"
- 15. "Mr. Ouija 2"
- 16. "Mo' Murda"
- 17. "Shotz to tha Double Glock (feat. Gates, Poetic Hustla'z & Tombstone)"
Samples
- 1. "Da Introduction"- "In The Rain" by The Dramatics
- 3. "Eternal"- "Character Bios Theme" from Eternal Champions by Joe Delia, Adrian Van Velsen, John Hart and Jeff Marsh
- 7. "Budsmokers Only"- "Reasons" by Earth, Wind & Fire
- 8. "Crossroads" (original mix)- "Bad Ending Theme" from Eternal Champions by Joe Delia, Adrian Van Velsen, John Hart and Jeff Marsh
- 9. "Me Killa"- "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March
- 12. "1st of Tha Month"- "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl" by Chapter 8
- 13. "Buddah Lovaz"- "Choosey Lover" by The Isley Brothers
- 14. "Die Die Die"- "Breakthrough" by Isaac Hayes
- 16. "Mo Murda"- "I'd Rather Be With You" by Bootsy's Rubber Band
- 18. "Tha Crossroads"- "Make Me Say It Again Girl Part 1 & 2" by The Isley Brothers
Album's Eternal tropes are
- Album Title Drop: "E.1999"
- Concept Video: "Tha Crossroads", featuring the Angel of Death taking souls.
- Darker and Edgier: Compared to their EP this album was much more ominous and moody.
- On the other hand, songs like Buddah Lovaz and Budsmokers Only are simply odes to weed, while "1st Of Tha Month" is actually a very upbeat tune overall, being a celebratory song about getting welfare checks and rejoicing. Even "Tha Crossroads", being a darkish tune due to its theme of death, has the hopeful message in it of being able to see your loved ones after you die.
- Evil Sounds Deep: The intro.
- Gangsta Rap: A very moody blue collar & Hardcore type.
- Great Escape: The song "Down 71 (The Getaway)" is about them daringly (and violently) breaking Bizzy out of death row, and escaping down the Interstate 71 highway.
- Grief Song: "Crossroads" and the remix "Tha Crossroads" are about the deaths of friends and family members. The remix rededicated the song to Eazy-E after his passing.
- Horrorcore: Songs like "Mr. Ouija 2" and "Mo' Murda" veer headfirst into this.
- Ironic Nursery Tune: The song "Mr. Ouija" has the group chanting a nursery rhyme like tune asking the Ouija board to tell them their future, and asking it will they die of murder, a bloody murder, all the while distorted demonic vocal are heard in the background.
- The Sacred Darkness: At the end of the music video for "Tha Crossroads", the Angel of Death sheds his coat and reveals radiant white wings.
- Signature Style: This is arguably the album where the group honed their skills and perfected their unique style.
- Subliminal Seduction: "Da Introduction" contains eerie backmasking
of Bizzy's verse from Thuggish Ruggish Bone from the EP Creepin On Ah Come Up. - Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Tha Crossroads" (both versions) is a sweet, melodic ode that underscores the "Harmony" in their name.
