# Strength & Loyalty > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Strength_%26_Loyalty > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Strength_%26_Loyalty.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_%26_Loyalty > Source revision: 1357068122 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 2007 studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Strength & Loyalty Studio album by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Released May 8, 2007 (US) Recorded 2006–2007 Genre Hip-hop gangsta rap R&B Length 58:49 Label Thugline Mo Thugs A2Z Full Surface Interscope Producer Swizz Beatz (also exec.) Akon DJ Toomp Jermaine Dupri Mally Mall Neo Da Matrix Pretty Boy & Bradd Young Street Radio The Individuals Ty Fyffe will.i.am Bone Thugs-n-Harmony chronology Thug Stories (2006) Strength & Loyalty (2007) T.H.U.G.S. (2007) Singles from Strength & Loyalty "I Tried" Released: February 16, 2007 "Lil Love" Released: July 1, 2007 Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Metacritic (74/100) link Review scores Source Rating Allmusic link AllHipHop link at the Wayback Machine (archived May 12, 2007) DJBooth link Entertainment Weekly (B+) link HHNLive link at the Wayback Machine (archived May 15, 2007) HipHopDX link RapReviews link Rolling Stone link at the Wayback Machine (archived July 15, 2007) The Source XXL (L) link ***Strength & Loyalty*** (originally titled ***The Bone Thugs Story***) is the seventh studio album by American [hip hop](/source/Hip-hop) group [Bone Thugs-n-Harmony](/source/Bone_Thugs-n-Harmony), released on May 8, 2007. It was Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's first major album after an absence of nearly five years. The album contains guest appearances by [Akon](/source/Akon), [Autumn Rowe](/source/Autumn_Rowe), [Bow Wow](/source/Bow_Wow_(rapper)), Felecia, [Fleetwood Mac](/source/Fleetwood_Mac) (sampled), [Mariah Carey](/source/Mariah_Carey), [Swizz Beatz](/source/Swizz_Beatz), [The Game](/source/The_Game_(rapper)), [Twista](/source/Twista), [will.i.am](/source/Will.i.am), and [Yolanda Adams](/source/Yolanda_Adams). Producers include Akon, [DJ Toomp](/source/DJ_Toomp), [Jermaine Dupri](/source/Jermaine_Dupri), Mally Mall, [Neo Da Matrix](/source/Neo_Da_Matrix), Pretty Boy & Bradd Young, Street Radio, Swizz Beatz, The Individuals, Ty Fyffe, and will.i.am. The executive producer of the album was Swizz Beatz. [Bizzy Bone](/source/Bizzy_Bone) was not featured on the album. Then imprisoned member [Flesh-n-Bone](/source/Flesh-n-Bone) was only featured on a track entitled "Into The Future" which did not make the album and also due to his incarceration did not make the album cover. The album debuted at #2 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), with 119,000 copies sold.[1] It has since gone on to be certified gold by the [RIAA](/source/RIAA), having sold over 500,000 copies within the US to date.[2][3] The first single was "[I Tried](/source/I_Tried_(Bone_Thugs-n-Harmony_song))", which features Akon, and was also produced by him. The single was released on February 16, 2007. On March 7, the video officially debuted on [Yahoo! Music](/source/Yahoo!_Music), and on March 17, it debuted on [BET](/source/Black_Entertainment_Television)'s *[106 & Park](/source/106_%26_Park)*. The second single was "[Lil Love](/source/Lil'_L.O.V.E.)", which features Bow Wow and Mariah Carey, and was produced by Jermaine Dupri. The single was released in June 2007, while its video was premiered on July 5, on *106 & Park*. ## Critical reception *Strength & Loyalty* received generally positive reviews from music critics, praising the production of the album and Bone's ability to "reinvent themselves with just 3 members." David Jeffries of [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic) gave the album 3 and a half stars out of a possible 5, stating "This 2007 edition of Bone is missing members Flesh-N-Bone (thanks to incarceration) and Bizzy Bone (thanks to him being Bizzy Bone) and it shows. As a trio Krayzie, Layzie, and distant third Wish are a solid crew, able to deliver good weekend numbers like "Bump in the Trunk," "Lil Love," and "C-Town" (they never forget Cleveland) along with polished gangsta tracks like "I Tried." In the big picture, Bizzy and Flesh are missed, but what's remarkable about Strength & Loyalty is how it makes the listener forget they're missing while in the moment. Numerous melodious hooks in the easy-rolling Bone tradition fog the memory, and guest stars are brought in at just the right moments. Mariah speaks to the commercial possibilities Bone always had, while the Game speaks to how they seemed to never leave the streets. Every song is at least solid and the album flows very well, making it one of the better-built efforts from the house of Bone in nearly a decade. Problem is, this album could have twice the star power and it wouldn't make up for how important Bizzy's strange voice was for the overall chemistry. Strength & Loyalty doesn't overcome its challenges; it just sidesteps them and works hard to reward fans for a decade of patience. It's as good as it can be, and better than expected." Simon Vozick-Levinson of [Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly) of gave the album a "B+", stating "These Midwestern-rap pioneers sound more focused than they have in a decade. Much of the credit for the revitalized sound on their seventh LP, Strength & Harmony belongs to producers like Swizz Beatz, will.i.am, and Akon, who deftly flip samples from sources as disparate as Bobby Womack and Fleetwood Mac. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s lyrics, too, are impressively crafted, tempering rough bluster with humble spirituality and calling to mind their classic mid-’90s hits — a pleasant surprise after years of diminishing returns." Decades-long Bone heads need not worry about total change, though. On the Neo Da Matrix–tracked gem “C-Town,” fellow spitfire Twista tag teams with the crew atop an airy bed of whistles and sonic hypnosis. The strongest moment of seamless old meets new comes on the head-spinning “Flowmotion,” a remake of a cut from their 1993 indie project Faces of Death. Backed by newcomers the Individuals’ intense strings, all three members’ flows reach new levels of velocity, especially Krayzie's: “I’m coming at you with a sound like thunder, strike like lightning/Hit them and they wonder where these thuggish ruggish niggas came from.” Matt Baron of [XXL (magazine)](/source/XXL_(magazine)) gave the a "L" (Large) rating, stating "Don’t call it a complete comeback, however. While Krayzie and Layzie show and prove, Wish’s inferior skills frequently emerge as well. Take his infantile wordplay on the Jermaine Dupri–produced radio shot “Little Love” (“Not trying to say that you’re about that paper/But me and you, yes, we’re about that paper”), which makes guest Bow Wow sound superlyrical. Further downgrading the album are scattered, drowsy soundtrack lapses (DJ Toomp's bland bass guitars on “Sounds the Same,” for example) and stunted creativity (the “been there, shot that” murder taunts of “9mm”). Through attempts at experimentation, such as the Fleetwood Mac–sampling rock/rap hybrid “Listen to the Wind Blow,” Bone clearly display a hunger for relevance. And as evidenced by the solemn “Crossroads”-comparable single “I Tried,” their knack for genreless harmonies is still intact. Yet, with the final product sounding slightly uneven, some fine-tuning would have done these Bones good." ## Track listing Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[4] No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Flowmotion" Steven Howse Charles Scruggs Anthony Henderson Avery Chambliss Joseph Alexander Des Dyer Clive Scott The Individualz 3:09 2. "Bump in the Trunk" (featuring Swizz Beatz) Howse Scruggs Henderson Chambliss Alexander Kasseem Dean The Individualz 4:25 3. "Wind Blow" Howse Scruggs Henderson Orlando Watson Bradford Ray Lindsey Buckingham Michael Fleetwood Anne McVie John McVie Stephanie Nicks Pretty Boy Bradd Young 4:18 4. "I Tried" (featuring Akon) Howse Scruggs Henderson Giorgio Tuinfort Aliaune Thiam Akon Giorgio Tuinfort (co.) 4:47 5. "Lil' Love" (featuring Mariah Carey & Bow Wow) Jermaine Dupri Howse Scruggs Henderson Mariah Carey Shawntae Harris James Phillips Jermaine Dupri LRoc (co.) 3:52 6. "C-Town" (featuring Twista) Howse Scruggs Henderson Carl Mitchell Quaadir Atkinson John Footman Terry McFaddin Frank Wilson Neo da Matrix 5:05 7. "Order My Steps (Dear Lord)" (featuring Yolanda Adams) Howse Scruggs Henderson Watson Ray Glenn Burleigh Pretty Boy Bradd Young 3:57 8. "Streets" (featuring The Game & will.i.am) Howse Scruggs Henderson William Adams Jayceon Taylor Bobby Womack will.i.am 4:21 9. "9mm" Howse Scruggs Henderson Jesse Mathews Kendred Smith Street Radio 4:43 10. "Gun Blast" Howse Scruggs Henderson Tyrone Fyffe Ty Fyffe 3:37 11. "Candy Paint" (featuring Swizz Beatz & Autumn Rowe) Howse Scruggs Henderson Dean Swizz Beatz 3:45 12. "So Good So Right" (featuring Felecia) Howse Scruggs Henderson Jamal Rashid Brenda Russell Mally Mall 3:35 13. "Sounds the Same" Howse Scruggs Henderson Aldrin Davis DJ Toomp 4:25 14. "Never Forget Me" (featuring Akon) Howse Scruggs Henderson Tuinfort Thiam Akon Giorgio Tuinfort (co.) 4:46 Best Buy Bonus Track No. Title Producer Length 15. "Just Vibe" Pretty Boy 4:24 iTunes Bonus Track No. Title Producer Length 16. "Bump In The Trunk (Remix)" Swizz Beatz The Individualz 4:12 ### Samples # Title Samples 1. "Flowmotion" "Sky High" by Jigsaw 3. "Wind Blow" "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac 6. "C-Town" "Trust in Me" by Lenny Williams 8. "Streets" "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack 10. "Gun Blast" "Living a Lie" by Cam'ron 12. "So Good So Right" "So Good So Right" by Brenda Russell 15. "Just Vibe" (Best Buy Bonus track) "Why Have I Lost You" by Cameo ## Unreleased songs - "Assurance" (produced by [Polow da Don](/source/Polow_da_Don)) - "Bone Thugs Boys" (produced by [Danja](/source/Danja_(musician))) (co-produced by [Timbaland](/source/Timbaland)) - "Certified Thugs" (featuring [Jazze Pha](/source/Jazze_Pha)) (produced by Jazze Pha) - "Come with Me" (produced by [Swizz Beatz](/source/Swizz_Beatz)) - "For the OG's" (featuring [Chamillionaire](/source/Chamillionaire)) (produced by [Play-N-Skillz](/source/Play-N-Skillz)) - "Got My Back" (featuring [Jodeci](/source/Jodeci)) (produced by Play-N-Skillz) - "I Ain't Satisfied" (produced by [Kanye West](/source/Kanye_West)) - "Into The Future" (featuring [Flesh-n-Bone](/source/Flesh-n-Bone)) (produced by [The Platinum Brothers](/source/The_Platinum_Brothers) co produced by [Travis Cherry](/source/Travis_Cherry)) - "Never Been Industry" - "Not Familiar" - "One Day at the Time" - "Real Niggaz" (produced by Swizz Beatz) - "Shotgun" (produced by EVontheboards) - "So Crazy" (featuring [Kelly Rowland](/source/Kelly_Rowland)) (produced by Play-N-Skillz) - "Struggles" (featuring [Petey Pablo](/source/Petey_Pablo)) (produced by [DJ U-Neek](/source/DJ_U-Neek)) - "Toast 2 That" (featuring Swizz Beatz) (produced by Swizz Beatz) - "We Workin" (produced by [DJ Paul](/source/DJ_Paul) & [Juicy J](/source/Juicy_J)) - "What's Up" (featuring Swizz Beatz) (produced by Swizz Beatz) - "When the Thugs Come Out" (produced by Swizz Beatz) - "You & Me" (featuring [Gwen Stefani](/source/Gwen_Stefani)) ## Charts Weekly charts Chart (2007) Peak position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[5] 28 US Billboard 200[6] 2 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] 2 Year-end charts Chart (2007) Position US Billboard 200[8] 120 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 53 ## Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales New Zealand (RMNZ)[10] Gold 7,500‡ United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Buble Takes Down Bone Thugs In Mother's Day Chart Melee"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070518031344/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559747/20070516/buble_michael.jhtml). *[MTV](/source/MTV)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559747/20070516/buble_michael.jhtml) on May 18, 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["RIAA - Gold & Platinum - BONE THUGS 'N HARMONY"](https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=bone%20thugs&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25). *[Recording Industry Association of America](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Upcoming Releases"](http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/sales/sales_ur.cgi?050410). *HitsDailyDouble*. [Hits Daily Double](/source/Hits_Daily_Double). January 12, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-liner_notes_4-0)** *Strength & Loyalty* (booklet). [Full Surface](/source/Full_Surface), [Interscope](/source/Interscope). 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_New_Zealand_Bone_Thugs-N-Harmony_5-0)** "[Charts.nz – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Strength & Loyalty](https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Bone+Thugs-N-Harmony&titel=Strength+%26+Loyalty&cat=a)". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Billboard200_Bone_Thugs-N-Harmony_6-0)** "[Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (*Billboard* 200)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony/chart-history/TLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_Bone_Thugs-N-Harmony_7-0)** "[Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony/chart-history/BLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/top-billboard-200-albums). *Billboard*. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums). *Billboard*. Retrieved October 8, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-New_ZealandBone_Thugs_N_HarmonyStrength_and_LoyaltyalbumCertRef_10-0)** ["New Zealand album certifications – Bone Thugs N Harmony – Strength and Loyalty"](https://www.radioscope.co.nz/2024/00/00/album-cert-search/). Radioscope. Retrieved May 15, 2026. *Type*Strength and Loyalty*in the "Search:" field and press Enter.* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-riaa_11-0)** ["American album certifications – Bone Thugs 'N Harmony – Strength & Loyalty"](https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Bone+Thugs+%27N+Harmony&ti=Strength+%26+Loyalty&format=Album&type=#search_section). [Recording Industry Association of America](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America). Retrieved November 11, 2023. ## External links - *[Strength & Loyalty](https://www.metacritic.com/music/strength-loyalty)* at [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) v t e Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bizzy Bone Flesh-n-Bone Krayzie Bone Wish Bone Layzie Bone Studio albums Faces of Death Creepin on ah Come Up E. 1999 Eternal The Art of War BTNHResurrection Thug World Order Thug Stories Strength & Loyalty Uni5: The World's Enemy The Art of War: World War III New Waves Compilations The Collection Greatest Hits T.H.U.G.S. Singles "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" "Foe tha Love of $" "The Points" "1st of tha Month" "East 1999" "Tha Crossroads" "Days of Our Livez" "Look into My Eyes" "If I Could Teach the World" "War" "Resurrection (Paper, Paper)" "Money, Money" "Home" "Take the Lead (Wanna Ride)" "I Tried" "Lil' L.O.V.E." Featured singles "Breakdown" "Ghetto Cowboy" Other songs "Notorious Thugs" Related articles Discography Bone Brothers Mo Thugs BTNH Worldwide Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Strength & Loyalty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_%26_Loyalty) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_%26_Loyalty?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.