Krayzie Bone, one-fifth of the Grammy Award-winning group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is on the road to recovery more than a week after being hospitalized in critical condition. According to a statement obtained by ROCK THE BELLS, "Anthony ‘Krayzie Bone’ Henderson, expresses gratitude to fans for their prayers and support during his recent hospitalization. After spending nine days in the hospital due to a ruptured blood vessel in his lung caused by severe coughing, Krayzie Bone acknowledges the role of Jehovah God in his recovery, stating, "I just fought for life, and I only won the battle this time because I know Jehovah God was with me every step of the way fighting for me."

Krayzie Bone has been battling sarcoidosis for over 6 years. Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized by small areas of inflammation that can affect any part of the body, with the lungs being the most commonly affected. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this condition. During this time of recovery and healing, Krayzie Bone's family kindly requests privacy. They also ask for continued prayers. In a recent Instagram post, Krayzie Bone reminds everyone, ‘never take life for granted enjoy it while you have it!’”

The news Krayzie Bone was in poor health starting to gain traction on Saturday (September 23). Inside sources told AllHipHop he’d been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital on Friday (September 22) after coughing up large amounts of blood. Krayzie Bone underwent a cat scan and doctors soon discovered an artery was leaking inside one of his lungs. He underwent immediate surgery, but evidently the bleeding didn’t stop. Kray was then put in a medically-induced coma and kept alive with the help of a breathing machine. 

Krayzie Bone was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1973. After forming Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone and Bizzy Bone in the early ‘90s, they eventually secured a deal with Eazy-E and Ruthless Records. The group’s first EP, Creepin’ On Ah Come Up, was released in 1994 and included their breakout single, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone.” But it was their next album, E. 1999 Eternal, that made them superstars. The 17-track effort included the hit singles "1st of tha Month,” "East 1999” and the Grammy-winning single and tribute to Eazy-E, “Tha Crossroads.” 

The album—named after the intersection of E. 99th Street and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland, the same one where they used to run wild in their youth—has since been certified 4x-platinum. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony had a full circle moment in August, when the same corner was re-named Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Way. Speaking to ROCK THE BELLS at the time, Krayzie Bone opened up about his formative years and the significance of the street-ceremony. 

“Growing up on that street was crazy,” Krayzie Bone said. “We had many, many adventures on that street. We got in so much trouble. Our street was 99th and St. Clair, but we renamed our street because of the two nines—the 99—we called it ‘Double Glock.’ I remember we shot the streetlights out on the street so the police would no longer ride down it. At night, they would only come to the corner of the street, shine their lights down there and keep driving past. They wouldn't come down the street. Every time they would have somebody fix the light, we’d take it right back out with either a BB gun or a little .22 rifle.”  

There was also a vacant lot nearby they nicknamed the “Boneyard,” where they used to have barrel fires to keep warm in the colder months. A similar scene was later depicted in the video for “Thuggish Ruggish Bone.” 

“We kept hustling but had the fire to keep us warm,” Krayzie added. “The police would sometimes make us put it out then chase us off the corner. It was wild.” 

At the end of the day, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are bona fide Hip-Hop legends, but Krayzie managed to stay humble. In fact, he was eternally grateful to be a part of such a dynamic culture. 

“Now is the time in our career where we’ve started to sit back and really take everything we've done in and recognize the foundation we've laid down,” he said. “Other people are starting to recognize who did what and what we really did in this Hip-Hop industry. 

“I was never worried about receiving accolades or people not knowing what we brought to the business because it's all in due time. It’s going to come around for Bone. People ask me all the time, ‘Why people don’t show you no respect?’ I tell them I feel very respected in the industry. Just because people don’t mention our name in every best rapper list doesn’t mean the industry doesn’t respect us. When I come across all my peers, colleagues, other artists and celebrities, they all show Bone crazy love—from young to old. We don't have to be mentioned in every conversation to feel like we're being respected. I know the respect and love is there.”

And clearly it is. Fans and fellow artists came out in droves to show their support, including Ice-T, LeBron James and Chuck D, to name a few. For more information about sarcoidosis, please visit stopsarcoidosis.org. To learn about the Spread the Love Foundation (STLF), a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded by Krayzie Bone, visit www.spreadtheloveoh.com. STLF aims to support community groups dedicated to urban youth development, provide services for vulnerable families, and advocate for cultural equity and justice reform.