How you handle adversity often determines your standing. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has had to endure the death of their mentor Eazy-E, wrangling with former recording home ''Ruthless Records'' and the departure of talented but volatile member Bizzy Bone. Fortunately, during the same time period, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone also sold more than 10 million albums, earned countless awards including 2 Grammys and gained recognition by the hip-hop- and mainstream press alike as genre-defining rap pioneers.

Now Bone Thugs-n- Harmony delivers what will likely be considered the most significant and important album to date, Strength & Loyalty. With turmoil rocking the group before it landed on Swizz Beatz's Full Surface label through Interscope, Bone regained its focus and was pared down to its artistic core for its new album.

"We calculated the 20-plus years Bone Thugs -n-Harmony has been together and the title is exactly what it says it is," Layzie Bone explains. "There's strength in being loyal to each other because that's where our roots are, being together. The bond that the three of us have is the same bond we've had since the sixth, seventh grade. Wish is my cousin and Krayzie Bone has been my best friend since junior high school. It's like being back to the original essence."

Bone returns to its pioneering rapid-fire style on block-rocking songs "9mm," "Flow Motion" and "Bumps in the Trunk." These cuts showcase Bone's classic tongue twisting delivery over sinister, raucous beats. It's the sound they helped define with their breakthrough hit, 1994's "Thuggish Ruggish Bone."

As Bone rose to prominence, they had an unofficial rivalry with fellow machine-gun rapper Twista. Showing their maturity and their willingness to reconcile differences, Bone features the platinum rapper on "C-Town," an ode to both Bone's native Cleveland and Twista's hometown of Chicago. "It's very important that we work with Twista because we want to bring shine to the Midwest," Layzie says. "We felt that it was time to let people know that there could be unity in hip hop. We're men now and we're showing them a better way of life."

Indeed, in its music, Bone has consistently examined problems and presented them in universal ways through song. On the lead single "I Tried," for instance, Bone teams with multi-platinum singer-producer Akon for a reflective, soul-searching selection that is as powerful as it is meaningful. "The chemistry between us was there," Krayzie Bone reveals. "Everything that's out now is club stuff. For us to come in with that, we're letting people know what we've been going through and what we've learned."

Bone also makes uplifting, spiritual music where they discuss their relationship and interaction with God. On the emotionally charged "Order My Steps," gospel superstar Yolanda Adams joins Bone. "We've been waiting to do something gospel," Layzie Bone explains. "That was strictly a blessing from the Lord, to have someone that's truly anointed on a song with you. There were so many things said about Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, that people didn't want Yolanda Adams to do the song with us. But after she listened to it, I guess the good Lord moved her to get down with us. It's more than a gospel song to us. That was God speaking up saying that He would make things happen for Bone."

Bone also comes full circle on Strength & Loyalty, as the song "Streets" was produced by the Black Eyed Peas' ''Will.I.Am'' and features The Game. Bone was Ruthless Records' biggest act, and the Black Eyed Peas were signed to the label at the same time as Bone, even though the Peas never released an album on the iconic imprint. Another interesting wrinkle is that The Game is the latest superstar Compton rapper to emerge, while Eazy-E put the city on the national map and has been cited by The Game as one of his main inspirations.

Showing yet another side of Bone's repertoire, Bone is joined by Mariah Carey and Bow Wow for the relationship song "Little L.O.V.E." "It's a great feeling because we don't rap for gimmicks. It comes from the heart. We rap about what's really going on, and that's what we speak on. That's how we come up with a lot of our stuff" says Wish Bone.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has been coming up with memorable material since Wish and cousin Layzie joined forces in middle school with Layzie's best friend Krayzie. The three knew their patented blend of singing and rapping could be the next big thing, but being in Cleveland in the early 1990s, they had no connection to the music industry. So, they scrounged together money and bought one-way bus tickets to Los Angeles to try to meet gangster rap pioneer Eazy- E.

A Los Angeles meeting never materialized, but the group met the Compton rapper back in Cleveland at a concert. Blown away by their innovative style, Eazy-E signed the group to his Ruthless Records, and in 1994 with "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" exploding, Bone catapulted to superstardom. Subsequent single "Tha Crossroads" earned a Grammy and the group's 1997 double album, The Art Of War, was certified quadruple platinum.

No longer confined on any level, Bone shot the short film ''I Tried'', has its own line of Bone watches, designed a special edition sneaker with Phat Farm, created a series of Bone Visa cards and have delivered a sonic masterstroke with Strength & Loyalty.

At a time when most groups would have folded, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony showed that they remain rap's most vital group. "We all had to step it up two notches, all three of us," says Krayzie Bone. "We knew we were facing an uphill battle with what everybody was talking. But that just fuelled us to get in the studio and go hard. I felt like N.W.A when Ice Cube left and everybody was saying that N.W.A was done. Then, they came with that Efil4zaggin album and shocked the world."

Strength & Loyalty will turn the same trick.