With
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony keeping a low profile following their mid-'90s commercial peak, members of the Cleveland-born gangsta rap crew focused on their solo careers.
Bizzy Bone (born Bryon Anthony McCane) became, in effect, the
Ol' Dirty Bastard of the group, gaining more notoriety for his increasingly bizarre media appearances and self-admitted drug and alcohol problems than for solo albums like Speaking in Tongues or
Alpha and Omega. Although
Bizzy Bone's erratic behavior had gotten him thrown out of
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on several occasions, bandmate
Layzie Bone (Steven Howse) joined forces with him in 2005 for the duo project
The Bone Brothers, featuring the single "Hip Hop Baby." Both members continued with their solo careers following this album, with
Layzie Bone issuing
It's Not a Game later in 2005 and
Bizzy Bone releasing
Thugs Revenge in early 2006. ~ Stewart Mason