Coolio passed away today…RIP to a west coast legend

[teecee]

Even before Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio was HUGE on the west coast.   He had some great guest appearances with WC, and then dropped his debut album It Takes a Thief, which is definitely a personal classic of mine.  I was in grade 9…great memories bumpin that album playin ball and just hangin out.   

RIP to a legend of the west coast.

[gfunkin2]

RIP... always loved his 40 Thevz executive produced album Honor Amongst Thevz, too. Some great production on that album.

[MakCorleone]

RIP

[teecee]

RIP... always loved his 40 Thevz executive produced album Honor Amongst Thevz, too. Some great production on that album.

Oh word?  I never heard this album tbh.    I also never knew that Coolio was so tight with Rated R from Thug Life and was the one who connected him to Pac.  Makes sense cuz he was on a few Coolio albums

[astra4322]

RIP 

[doggfather]

Damn, rip

[Westdog]

RIP🙏 I was in his live performance in 1999, it was very dope. West coast legend

[Rubinho]

Damn R.I.P.
Will bump some of his classics today

Anyone know what happened?

[Sccit]

his last post on his ig is him performing “c u when u get there”

RIP

[Detox Is A Myth!!!]

Damn R.I.P.
Will bump some of his classics today

Anyone know what happened?

He died in his friend's bathroom from cardiac arrest. No foul play is suspected.

Really sad news. I was bumping my retail CD copy of It Takes a Thief just a few weeks ago.  But when he did Hot Ones, I thought he didn't look like he was doing well.

Rip.

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

his last post on his ig is him performing “c u when u get there”

RIP

No bullshit, I was just bumping "C U when u get there" a couple days ago.  I use music to document history and I was digging into some of the jams that made 1997 and that one was right there at the top of the list.  1997 is the last year that I didn't have a license and my mom would have to drive me to work sometimes--she hated rap and that was the only song she'd let me play.  That was a big song summer of 97' and fit the mood with Pac and Biggie dying and what was going on at the time.  I had the soundtrack to Nothing To Lose that summer, had the Soopafly and Daz banger on there and No Limit was coming up at the time with the title track. 

Then going back further "Fantastic Voyage" was the first single I ever bought.  That was one of the all-time summer jams and music videos.  I have a lot of great summer memories with one, but my all time favorite Coolio track was yet another Coolio summer jam, "I Remember".  So many great memories from summer of 94' with "I Remember" and the song itself is a nostalgic song rapping about growing up and playing Galaga and shit like J-Ro comes through with a hot verse on that one. 

Again with a summer release I remember bumpin "Mama I'm in Love with a Gangsta" to my summer league basketball games--that's one of the best Bonnie and Clyde rap tracks of all time up there with Method Man and Mary J. "All I Need".

Of course it goes without saying that "Gangsta's Paradise" was one of the all time summer jams still plays to this day.

I made a thread on here last year a Coolio appreciation thread I will try to bump up but it shows how deep Coolio's history is on the coast and he was shining well before he ever blew up on MTV.  He steals the show on these ol' school Maad Circle tracks and I'm not surprised he got signed and got a solo deal.  He got the skills to rhyme step for step with WC and then the charisma to make you be like "yo who is that" if you were watching the video at the rhyme.





RIP definitely a legend of the Coast.

My top 5 Coolio joints are

1. "I Remember"
2. "Mama I'm In Love with a Gangsta"
3. "C U When You Get There"
4.  "Fantastic Voyage"
5.  "Gangstaz Paradise"

[wardy]

Was always left out of Legends conversations but what he did for the coast in the 90s was huge.

Hopefully he finally gets the props he deserves.

R.I.P Coolio

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

Was always left out of Legends conversations but what he did for the coast in the 90s was huge.

Hopefully he finally gets the props he deserves.

R.I.P Coolio

I think the reason he was left out the convo was because as a solo artist I viewed him mostly as a rapper who could make great songs but not a great album.  I bought his singles or recorded them off radio but I never actually bought any of his albums.  This was just my perception at the time.

But it's true.. that's a good question.  Why is a West Coast artists who came from the well-respected maad circle and then blew up to get mainstream appeal (even my brother who was never a rap fan sent me RIP today) not ever considered or written about when it comes to West Coast legends and heavyweights?  Only reason I can think of is because people only think of him for his hits.

[Sccit]

I think the reason he was left out the convo was because as a solo artist I viewed him mostly as a rapper who could make great songs but not a great album.  I bought his singles or recorded them off radio but I never actually bought any of his albums.  This was just my perception at the time.

But it's true.. that's a good question.  Why is a West Coast artists who came from the well-respected maad circle and then blew up to get mainstream appeal (even my brother who was never a rap fan sent me RIP today) not ever considered or written about when it comes to West Coast legends and heavyweights?  Only reason I can think of is because people only think of him for his hits.

i think it has something to do wit him blowing up with gangsters paradise and then going Nickelodeon .. he was lowkey seen as a bubblegum rap gimmick style artist after that, which is unfair because it’s no different than what snoop gets applauded for today.

it takes a thief and gangsters paradise were both great albums

[astra4322]

i think it has something to do wit him blowing up with gangsters paradise and then going Nickelodeon .. he was lowkey seen as a bubblegum rap gimmick style artist after that, which is unfair because it’s no different than what snoop gets applauded for today.

it takes a thief and gangsters paradise were both great albums

Well said.