Search - Flesh N Bone :: Fifth Dog Lets Loose

5th Dog

ctrx | 10/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is Flesh n Bone's (from the multiplatinum group Bone Thugs n Harmony)sophomore effort. Overall, it's a fairly good album, but nothing too memorable.1. Intro/Hero- The introduction is dark, mysterious, and dramatic. While listening to it, I had very high expectations for this album. Hero was an alright song. Flesh sounded dark and mysterious, while some unknown very fast paced rappers accomponied him. 2. Amen- An overall nice track. Very spiritual, as the title suggests, it has a somewhat cold feel to it. Flesh has very nice verses, but the highlight is featured artist Montell Jordan who sings a very smooth and powerful hook which is repeated throughout the song. 3. Way Back- This is a tribute to the fallen rappers in the game, especially Eazy-E. Flesh performs very well in this song, but the chorus and several other hooks are way too sappy and overdone. Featured artist Layzie Bone doesn't add to the song either. An average track. 4. If You Could See- This is my favorite track, and it really stands high above the other tracks. Flesh, as always, delivers a very strong verse. Fellow Bone rappers Layzie Bone and Wish Bone also show up to drop verses, both which add to the song. All of this on top of beautiful production makes this joint a five star Bone thugs-n-harmony song. 5. Word to the Wise- This track is dull after just hearing "If You Could See". But it isn't bad.. an average track on the album. Flesh drops deep meaningful lyrics. The song lacks in its production, which is nice but remains somewhat dull. 6. The Master- This song was another average track, but a little discouraging since it sounded just like Word to the Wise. Listening to the two in a row is like hearing a ten minute average song.. enough to put anyone to sleep. However, I like this one a little more than Word to the Wise. The chorus is catchy, Flesh's verses are more heated, and production was a tad better, though it sounded just like Word to the Wise production. At this point, I'm sleeping on this album. 7. Say a Little Prayer- A nice track, but it has it's flaws. Flesh's verses are deep and smooth. He is accompanied by women singing religious hymns, which greatly compliments the song. The production is somewhat distracting, as it will have some powerful strings one moment, and the next you're left with nothing but Flesh and a beat. One of the better tracks, however. 8. Havin a Ball- A bouncy, feel good track, and my second favorite off the album. Flesh holds it down, and there's a lot of bass. Good for the ride. 9. Kurupted Flesh- My third favorite cut. I like the production, though the synthesizer needs a lot more volume (which would have made this the best cut off the album). A catchy chorus, memorable verse from Kurupt, and a solid one from Flesh make this another good track.. though it becomes a bit tedious after three minutes. I'm liking this CD by now. 10. Deadly- This song is different from any rap song you've heard. It has a old western feel to it (similar to Ghetto Cowboy) and Flesh spits fire. However, somehow the formula is lacking.. maybe it's the overdone bass or the unmastered sound to it. Perhaps the weakest cut on 5th Dog Lets Loose. 11. Come F#!K With Me- A misleading track. It is a soft, smooth song despite it's name. One of the better cuts. 12. No Other Like My Kind- Borring. I slept on this cut, and by now, Flesh's solid distinctive flow had become worn and tedious. Flesh knows how to light a mic, but he uses the same flow for each track. The female singing the bridges kept this one alive. 13. Silent Night- It was hard to sleep on this concluding track, as it sounded different from all the others.. a dark scary feel almost reminiscent of some of Bone thugs' older music. Rap veteren BG Knoccout holds it down, as does producer Damon Elliot.. both adding to the scary feel. Flesh drops a dark mysterious flow liks he does in Hero. However, the formula is lacking.. an average track. If you are into different music that sounds nothing like what you hear all day on the radio, pick up flesh's album.. as everything about it defies mainstream standards."

A Unique Album

Ian Scottish | New York | 10/27/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Flesh's flow is deffinatly unique and distinct from the other members of Bone Thugs. He raps very fast on this album and proves he has a whole lot of skill. To me the standout tracks are "Amen", "Way Back", "Hero", and "If You Could See". "Way Back" is a dedication to the deceased legends 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, and Big Pun; and the lyrics done by Flesh and Layzie on the track are very heartfelt and beautiful...in my opinon the best track on the album. However, the over all flaw on here is the production. Certain production on this album really doesn't go well with Flesh's style and at times is too repetitive. Most irritating though is that a lot of the songs, such as "The Master" in particular are extremely high pitched and (though I don't say this much about music) are just plain noisy. Don't get me wrong though, some of the production is very good, it's just other tracks come out too obscure at times to be enjoyable. As for Flesh, though I love his flow as stated before, it does at times get repetitive on certain songs ("No Other Like My Kind") and isn't enjoyable through the whole CD. Over all this is a good CD though it does have it's tracks I constantly skip over. It's a great addition to any Bone fan's collection but if I had to suggest a Bone solo over this I would deffinatly say that Bizzy Bone's "The Gift" is drastically better. Over all though, a worthwhile and creativly put together CD."

Huge improvement from "T.H.U.G.S."

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 07/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Flesh-N-Bone's sophomore album was released in late 2000, following his release from Def Jam and the start of an eight year jail sentence. That's too bad, because "5th Dog Let Loose" is really a good album, head and heels above his 1996 solo "T.H.U.G.S." Flesh, the often forgotten member of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, has a very unique flow, being one of hip hop's quickest tongued rappers and his delivery is great to listen to, with a great high pitched voice. Once you are able to decipher his triple-time rhymes, you will find entertaining stories of crime, spirituality, and his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He has a darker style than Bone usually does as a group, often referencing dark scripture and mystic spirits and such. I find "5th Dog Let Loose" better than "T.H.U.G.S.", which I thought had a lot of good material but was sometimes plagued with too much filler and dated sounding production. I had heard that this album was not great, so even as a Bone fan I was reluctant to check it out, but I'm certainly glad I did. Damon Elliott and company definitely stepped up the production for this go-round, and I find it easier to follow Flesh's lyricism on this album as well. I definitely recommend "5th Dog Let Loose" to all Bone fans, because this is some of Flesh's best work.



Following an overly-long intro, the album starts with "Hero", a dark and entertaining song, definitely a highlight. Next comes one of the best, a Montell Jordan collaboration called "Amen". The beat samples OutKast's "Git Up, Git Out" and Flesh speaks of the struggles of life and provides hope. Montell's appearance adds well to the song and it's a very strong cut. "Way Back" is also a great song, featuring his brother Layzie Bone. He reminisces over dead rappers, namely Eazy-E, the Notorious B.I.G., and 2Pac. I also really like "If You Could See". The production is very unique but I like it. Flesh is aided by Wish and Layzie Bone, another very good track. "Word to the Wise" is a tough warning track, reminiscent of some on "T.H.U.G.S." "The Master" is excellent, it sounds like a song Krayzie Bone would record, another album highlight. "Say A Little Prayer" is an introspective and spiritual track, it shows Flesh's versatility and has good production too. "Havin' A Ball" sports probably the best beat on the album, it's a unique strings-and-bass production. It's a happy song, I really like it. "Kurupted Flesh" brings west coast veteran Kurupt for a guest appearance to make a surprisingly conscious and relevant song. "Deadly" is awesome, the production has great droopy bass and even a harmonica. "Come F**k With Me" has an excellent chorus and more great production. "No Other Like My Kind" is a nice track, and the BG Knocc Out collaboration "Silent Night" closes the album on a tough note. It seems like a fitting sequel to their first collabo, "Coming To Serve You".



Overall "5th Dog Let Loose" is an impressive album, definitely the best work Flesh has ever pulled off by himself. Damon Elliott definitely stepped up the production, and the album shines. I recommend it to all Bone Thugs fans, because it showcases a different style but has a lot of the same appeal."