Coming off a successful album with his well established group Bone Thugs N’ Harmony, speed-spitter Krayzie Bone is now taking the role of a CEO.

Starting his own label, Thug Line Records, Krayzie Bone is coming back out strong with a new solo album titled Smoke On This.

Sixshot.com caught up with the Bone member to talk about his career and what his label has in store for the future.

Krayzie Bone you’re a legend in the game, you just came off a successful album with Bone Thugs “Strength and Loyalty” so what you have going on with this solo album?

First I got the mixtape that’s about to be released and it’s called The Fixtape Vol 1.which is the first one that I released. It’s like a prelude to the album so that’s basically what it is. In the meantime, I’m in the studio right now  working on the album which is going to be released later on this year.

Speaking on the mixtape how is that whole process coming along?

The mixtape is done and it should be out late March/early April and you will be getting that real soon, it’s coming.

Coming off a successful album like Strength and Loyalty, what’s the hardest thing to get right back on the grind and drop a solo album?

It’s really not that hard, because I live in the studio anyway. I’m always in the studio, I’m always working, and I’ve been like that for years now. It’s really easy because I’m always recording anyway. No matter what project I’m working on I’m always in the studio anyway. It’s really not a hard task it’s just getting in there doing what I do.

What do you like doing most, working with Bone Thugs or going solo?

It’s both cool, because with the group you know it’s less work. When I’m by myself though I can put more creativity into it, because it’s just me. I don’t have to worry about if anybody else like it or not, if it’s just me it makes it a little easier.

What makes Krayzie different as a solo artist aside from you working with Bone Thugs N’ Harmony everybody is used to seeing?

I don’t know if it’s any different, I feel like the people feel it’s just me. You getting me and my style opposed to everybody else you know. It’s me just Krayzie Bone.

Let’s get into the creativity, a lot of people know you for you fast-rapping with Bone along with somebody like Twista. Is that a Midwest style rapping fast?

Now it basically and for some amount of time we was the only people we knew that rapped like that. Twista was doing his thing too, but it’s now known widely as a Midwest style.

Do you find it funny when back then Bone and Twista had beef, but now find it ya’ll consistently working together with respect for each other?

Aww yeah man it seems real crazy, because honestly we don’t even know what we was beefing over. It was something stupid like who rap fast, who started the style, and it was just something real silly. We just sat down looking back on it and just reminisced on it. We looked back and was like man “We was crazy”. We was young, full of energy and it was real silly though.

You have a lot of longevity in the game and everybody knows in the music industry a lot of rappers come and go. It’s only a few that’s been around for over ten years like yourself along with many others so what you think it is that keep Bone Thugs around so long?

Man it’s just the kind of music we know. We don’t fall in with the times and our music is timeless. Were still active to this day plus we don’t just rap about what’s going on at the time. We rap about struggle, our music is struggle music, and everybody can relate to that. Even though people out here making dance songs that’s cool, but people don’t want to dance all the time, people are not at the club all the time.

People writing songs about them balling and how much money they got that’s cool, but everybody ain’t rich like that. After a while people get tired of that like “Damn, so what you got money, so damn what”. People can always relate when you got music talking about going through a struggle or just trying to survive life daily period.

What’s it’s like to be doing a show and seeing the fans go crazy seeing Bone Thugs in their town?

Aw man it’s always a wonderful thing. It’s a blessing for fans to come out and see us, even when we didn’t have albums out we still sell out venues. It’s a real blessing to have the hardcore fan base that we got so it’s good.

If you don’t mind telling me how much can Bone get on a good show night?

On a good show night man we can get some money. We’ve done shows and got anywhere from $50-100,000.

I know that’s crazy, especially with all the merchandise selling too!

Oh yeah and that’s something we really got control of too our merchandise. We’ve been really doing real good out here on the road so we really like seeing the money come you know.

I saw that you’re a CEO now so talk about your label and the moves your trying to make for the future?

Yeah it’s Thug Line Records and I also got an R&B singer from Ohio on the road with me, his name is J. Rush. I got another vocalist from New York her name is Kelly Campbell and I’ve been working with her for a while. I also got two rappers out of Cleveland I’m working with named Gangsta Kane and Lil Chico.

I see you showing a lot of love to your hometown Ohio.

Oh yeah definitely, you gotta show love to your town man. It has  a lot of talent, but everybody that made it in Cleveland had to leave Cleveland so I’m trying to change that a little bit you know.

This interview was conducted and written by Quinton Hatfield for Sixshot.com.