Bizzy Bone

Bizzy Bone
Bizzy Bone (of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) - Live in Concert 2009
Background information
Birth name	Bryon Anthony McCane II
Also known as	Ripsta, BB Gambini
Born	September 12, 1976 (1976-09-12) (age 33)
Origin	Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Hi Power Entertainment (2006-Present) Ruthless(1994-2002) BTNH Worldwide(2009-Present) Mo Thugs(1996-1998)(2009-Present) Virgin Records(2007) 7th Sign(2004-Present) Bungalo(2004) SMC(2005) Real Talk Ent.(2006-2008) After Platinum Records(2007) Warner Bros(2009-Present)
Associated acts	Mr. Capone-E Mr. Criminal Hi Power Soldiers Snoop Dogg Rick Ross Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bone Brothers Layzie Bone Bad Azz

Bryon McCane ll (born September 12, 1976),^[1] better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone is an American rapper and is a member of the Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

Early life

Bryon Anthony McCane II was born to an African American/Native American father and Italian/Jewish mother on September 12, 1976.

Bryon at the age of 5
(Image provided by Beulah Smith)

In 1981, at the age of five, Bizzy was abducted by his stepfather along with his little sister and older sister. He lived in many homes, apartments, cars and motels and was unaware at first that he had been abducted. He was told that his mother and grandmother had died. He was eventually told this was false and was instructed not to tell anyone about his abduction. He was also physically and sexually abused.

In 1983, he was living at a reservation in Oklahoma where his stepfather had dropped him off. A neighbor saw his photo at the end of the made-for-TV movie, Adam and called the police, resulting in his return to his family.^[2]

Despite this, his childhood remained difficult. His mother had married another man, and Bizzy's new stepfather physically abused him and his mother.^[3] Eventually, his mother divorced and put him and his sister in a foster home until she could get her life back together. Beulah Smith took care of the orphaned Bizzy Bone and gave him his first Christmas presents.^[4]

In 1989 when he was thirteen, Bizzy decided to live with his sisters in Cleveland, Ohio. During this period he resorted to selling drugs in order to support his family. This came to an end when he met Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, and Layzie Bone, who all lived on the same street. He later appeared on the FOX series America's Most Wanted in 2002^[5],(Hosted by John Walsh, Adam's father) where he revealed his abusive childhood and molestation. Bizzy Bone also wrote and performed a song on the show entitled A.M.W. in which he thanks Walsh and encourages abused children to come forward.^[5] This song has yet to be officially released.

Solo career

Still from the Music video Thugz Cry (Bizzy's first single off of his debut album).

Bizzy Bone started his solo career in 1998. He is best known for his style, combining rapid fire raps and double - sometimes triple - harmony choruses.

His debut, Heaven'z Movie made it obvious that on his own he felt free to explore his psyche and to go to eccentric places.^[2] The critically acclaimed album received a positive reception from Bone Thug fans and made it to #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart^[6] and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.^[7]

Bizzy Bone became an underground artist and began releasing albums with little or no marketing. The Gift, released on April 7, 2001, peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Independent Albums chart.^[8]

In 2002 at a Bone Thugs-N-Harmony performance in New York City, Bizzy was noticeably drunk and walked off-stage halfway through the show.^[9] He was let go from the group that night, but Bizzy claimed he had been a solo artist for years and only a guest in the group.

In 2004 Alpha and Omega was released and fans responded positively to the album, influencing Bizzy to produce his own underground limited-edition album for the internet, The Beginning and the End.^[10]

On May 2, 2005, Bizzy Bone made news when he displayed unusual behavior during an appearance on Houston's KPFT radio show, "Damage Control".^[11] When asked about it in an MTV interview a few months later he said, "Everybody thought I went crazy, they were questioning my motives and what was going on." ^[2] He also stated he felt he was being antagonized during the interview and went into defense mode. He later admitted to having a drinking problem that he was working on, and that his family had attempted to have him committed to an asylum.^[2]

2006 – present

2006 proved even busier with the albums Thugs Revenge, The Story, and The Midwest Cowboy.^[12] Continually writing and recording, he released eleven solo albums from 2006 to 2009. Bizzy converted from Christianity to Islam, then back to Christianity only a couple of years later.

On January 5, 2009, While returning to his room at the Universal Hilton, Bizzy was confronted by several people who beat and choked him before stealing his jewelry, according to the Los Angeles Times.^[13][14]

On November 24, 2009, Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones and three codefendants were immediately sentenced after pleading no contest in connection with the robbing and beating of Bizzy Bone of the rap group Bone Thugs-N- Harmony on Jan. 5, authorities said. Bizzy Bone was beaten and choked in his Universal City hotel room and stripped of his jewelry, according to the Los Angeles Times.^[15]

Discography

• Heaven'z Movie (1998)
• Hell'z Movie (1999)
• The Gift (2001)
• Alpha and Omega (2004)
• Thugs Revenge (2006)
• The Story (2006)
• The Midwest Cowboy (2006)
• Ruthless (2007)
• A Song for You (2008)
• Back with the Thugz (2009)
• Back with the Thugz, Pt. II (2009)

In other media

Bizzy Bone has also released several DVD's
2004 - Alpha & Omega

The song "Jesus" was featured in the movie Bully.
The song "Hollywood" was featured in the video game, True Crime: Streets of LA in 2003

Filmography

1. Cutthroat Alley (2003) .... Chetty
2. Jacked Up(2001) .... Zach
3. The Color of a Dream

Other information

• Family: Bizzy stated during an interview on the Wendy Williams show in September, 2005 that he has ten children.

References

External links