"Tha Crossroads" is a Grammy Award–winning
song performed by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, taken from their album E.
1999 Eternal and released in 1996. The song is dedicated to the
group's mentor, the late gangsta rapicon Eazy-E. It is one
of the group's most popular songs to date, and their biggest selling single.
Originally named "Crossroad", it was not until the group
and their producer, DJ U-Neek, decided to remake the song that the name was
changed. "Crossroad" was originally dedicated to Bone's dead friend
Wallace (Wally) Laird III, but after the death of Eazy-E they
decided to remake it as "Tha Crossroads". The original song now
appears on the edited version of the album, though the European release has the
original as track number 8 and the remix as track 18. The song is performed by
four of the group's members, (Krayzie
Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone).
The remake contained the line "And I'm askin' the good Lord 'Why?' and
sigh It's I, he told me we lived to die" from the original. Bone's
lightning fast rhymes are delivered softer than is usual for the group, without profanities and
creating a sad and heartfelt effect. With soft instrumentals revolving around a sample of The Isley Brothers' "Make Me Say It Again
Girl (Pts. 1 and 2)", the song has a sad yet quick tone to it. After
receiving high praise for their song the group decided to make it their third
single for their already released album, E.
1999 Eternal.
The song was a smash hit worldwide and reached the top of the Billboard
Hot 100. It has been certified 2x platinum in the United States.
"Tha Crossroads" moved so quickly up the charts after its
release in May 1996 that it ranked with the legendary success of the Beatles’
"Can’t Buy Me Love" and Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love
You".
In 2008, "Tha Crossroads" was ranked number 33 on VH1's
100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
This song came out when I was 6 years old.
ReplyDeleteThe music video scared all of the hell out of me. I still get kinda uncomfortable watching it just now. From that Uncle on the porch, to that newborn baby in the hospital.
Nope. I can't.
The song, however, is deep and the lyrics are some of the heaviest I've yet to hear from death-related hip hop songs these days (if there are any to even consider).
-_Cogito
nice to know that you still have an appreciation for the song
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