For their Full Surface/Interscope debut album, 'Strength and Loyalty,' Bone Thugs-N-Harmony wanted to commemorate its 20-plus years together. To do so, they not only recruited Full Surface`s Swizz Beatz, but also Mariah Carey, Yolanda Adams, Twista, the Game, Akon, Bow Wow and many others.

"It`s a real versatile album," Krayzie Bone tells Billboard.com of the set, due May 8. "Ain`t nothing the same on there. Every song puts you in a different zone." The Cleveland natives also secured production from Jermaine Dupri, Neo da Matrix and will.i.am.

The first single is the Akon-assisted "I Tried," which is currently No. 14 on Billboard`s Hot Rap Tracks chart. "This is a song from the heart," says Layzie Bone. "We write songs that we feel. It`s a song we wrote cause of stuff we was going through," adds Krayzie.

The second single is a toss-up between the two Swizz creations on the album, "Bump in the Trunk" and "Candy Paint." "Swizz got on our level," says Krayzie of their collaboration with the rapper/producer. "He`s really versatile, and he actually showed that working with us. He made it comfortable for us to rap over his tracks."

Other tracks on the album included "Lil Love," featuring Carey and Bow Wow, and a gospel song with Adams.

Outside of their own music, Bone Thugs recently put in studio time with Frankie J, Collie Buddz and DJ Khaled. The group has also finished filming its first independent movie, titled 'I Tried.'

"It`s a 'what if?' movie," explains Layzie. "Like, what if Bone Thugs-N-Harmony would have taken that one-way bus ticket to L.A. and never would have got on with Eazy-E?" In addition, Krayzie and Layzie are working with artists on their own independent record labels, ThugLine and MoThugs, respectively.

'Strength and Loyalty' is the second album the group will release as a trio. Former member Bizzy Bone left Bone Thugs in 2003 due to creative differences, and fifth member Flesh-N-Bone is serving an 11-year prison term.

Taken from M&C