E. 1999 Eternal is the second album by American hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, released July 25, 1995, on Ruthless Records. The album was released four months after the death of gangsta rapper Eazy-E, the group's mentor and the executive producer of the album. Both the album and single "Tha Crossroads" are dedicated to him. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone", it became a popular album and received positive reviews from music critics, earning praise for the group's melodic rapping style. The album title is a portmanteau of Cleveland's eastside neighborhood centering on East 99th Street and St. Clair Avenue where the group is based and the then-future year 1999.

The album sold 307,000 copies in the first week. E. 1999 Eternal became the group's best-selling album, with four million copies sold in the United States. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and topped the chart for two consecutive weeks. The album was nominated for the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, ultimately losing to Naughty by Nature's Poverty's Paradise at the 1996 Grammy Awards. In 2015, the group toured in support of the 20th anniversary of the album, performing it in its entirety for the first time.

Commercial performance

E.1999 Eternal sold 307,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. It remained at No. 1 in its second week on both charts, selling 222,000 copies. In its third week, E.1999 Eternal dropped to number 2 on the Billboard 200, behind Hootie & the Blowfish's Cracked Rear View, selling 162,000 copies. The album sold 123,000 copies in its fourth week and got outsold by The Show: The Soundtrack, dropping to No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Critical reception

Upon release, E. 1999 Eternal met with critical acclaim. Cheo H. Coker of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the group "has raised the stakes of the gangsta rap game, not only in terms of pure, gritty excess, but also in rhyme-style, cadence and delivery", concluding: "This is the kind of album that starts out good and gets better with repeated listenings—as the dark, subliminal references clear up. Easily one of the most worthwhile rap purchases of the year."

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| 7. || "Budsmokers Only" || "Reasons" by Earth, Wind & Fire

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| 8. || "Crossroad” || "Bad Ending Theme" from Eternal Champions by Andy Armer

| 32

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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 16

|-

! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| 10

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1995)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 35

|-

! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

| 5

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (1997)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

|113

|}

Decade-end charts

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Chart (1990–1999)

!Position

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| US Billboard 200

| style="text-align:center;"|54

|}

Certifications

References

  • E 1999 Eternal at Discogs
  • "Back to the Lab" series - E 1999 Eternal at RapReviews