Where We'll Be

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 

BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY

THE RITZ, RALEIGH WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19

After two decades, nine albums and a few on-again/off-again reunions, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony remain masters of raps with near-psychedelic speed. They're providing their own coronation through a 20th-anniversary tour to celebrate and perform their classic sophomore album, E. 1999 Eternal. The LP's importance cannot be overstated: It cemented the place of Cleveland, their hometown, on the international hip-hop circuit and brought the struggles of inner-city poverty and depression to the mainstream through singles "1st of tha Month' and "Tha Crossroads," their ode to the recently deceased mentor Eazy-E. Other tracks pursue those darker topics amid respites of getting fucked up on weed and booze, all carried by the subtle bounce of producer DJ U-Neek's gloomy G-funk backbone. Two decades later, Bone Thugs' second studio LP is perhaps more relevant than ever, reflected now in the hazy raps of Harlem's A$AP Ferg and the laid-back stoner rhymes of fellow Clevelandite King Chip. 8 p.m., $25, 2820 Industrial Dr., Raleigh, 919-424-1400, www.ritzraleigh.com.

—Andrew Martin