Tha Crossroads

"Tha Crossroads"
Song

"Tha Crossroads" is a 1996 song performed by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, dedicated to the late rap icon Eazy-E. It is one of the group's most popular songs to date, and certainly their biggest selling.

Background

Originally named "Crossroad," it wasn't until the group and their producer, DJ U-Neek, decided to remake the song that the name was changed. The song "Crossroad" was originally dedicated to Bone's deceased friends, but after the death of Eazy-E they decided to remake it as "Tha Crossroads". The song is performed by four of the group's members, (Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone), but a remix can be found which includes later addition Flesh-n-Bone. The remake contained the line "And I'm askin' the good Lord "Why?" and sigh, 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 add it to their already launched album, E 1999 Eternal. The single rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks, sold over two million copies, and would later win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. "Tha Crossroads" is also known to be in the best selling rap songs of all-time. "Tha Crossroads" won Bone Thugs-N-Harmony a grammy for best rap song in 1997, topped #1 in the billboard pop charts for 9 weeks, and broke The Beatles' 32 year-old record for fastest-rising single .

The song was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA, and later appeared on the soundtrack to the 2008 film "Pineapple Express".

Music Video

The song was accompanied by a music video that showed an imposing black man with sunglasses and a trenchcoat, a reaper, taking souls. Bone are the only ones who see the man, seeing him get all of their deceased friends and relatives, along with Eazy-E. Towards the end the reaper stolls through a hospital corridor than takes a baby as it was too weak to survive. He then leads the souls, baby in hand, up a mountain and transforms into an angel taking the deceased people to Heaven. It cuts back to Bone at a church (from the start of the clip) where they are singing at the funeral of a boy the angel took, where only the boy's mother sees the angel.

Track Listings

Australian CD Single

1. "Tha Crossroads" (D.J. U-Neek's Mo Thug Remix) - 3:50
2. "Tha Crossroads" (D.J. U-Neek's Remix Instrumental) - 3:48
3. "Crossroad" (LP Version - Radio Edit) - 3:33
4. "1st of tha Month" (The Kruder and Dorfmeister Remix) - 6:15
5. "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" - 4:42

Official Versions

• "Crossroad" (LP Version)(Original Version) - 3:27
• "Crossroad" (LP Version - Radio Edit) - 3:33
• "Tha Crossroads" (D.J. U-Neek's Mo Thug Remix) - 3:50
• "Tha Crossroads" (D.J. U-Neek's Remix Instrumental) - 3:48

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Original Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
ARIA Australian Hip-Hop / Rap Singles Chart	1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	1
Germany Singles Chart	4
UK Singles Chart	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Top Airplay	1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	1

Blazin' Squad version

"Tha Crossroads"
Song
B-side	"Offering" "Uproar"

Blazin' Squad covered the song (under the title of "Crossroads") as their first single. It charted at #1 for one week in August 2002. They would go on to have 7 more top 20 hits, including 5 top 10 singles. The track is featured on their 2002 album In the Beginning.

Track listings

UK CD 1

1. Crossroads (Radio Edit)
2. Uproar
3. Crossroads (Video)

UK CD 2

1. Crossroads (Full Version)
2. Offering
3. Crossroads (TNT Remix)

Chart positions

Chart (2002)	Peak Position
Germany Singles Chart	82
UK Singles Chart	1

Trivia

• This song is played in TV Shows like The Jamie Foxx Show, and The Wayans Bros., on the episode of The Steve Harvey Show Cedric says, "I miss my Uncle Charles, ya'll" on season 1's episode African American Me.
• In Pineapple Express (film), the character Red plays this song as he sits in his bathroom, believing he's soon going to die from multiple gun shot wounds.
• Olivia Munn, co-host of G4's Attack of the Show stated in a recent episode that this is her favorite song.
• "Tha Crossroads" reached to number 33, on the Vh1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.
• The Most Popular Line from "Tha Crossroads" is Bizzy Bone's line " And im goin to miss everybody".