This is rapper Coolio’s finest musical moment, of which there were many good musical moments in his musical career. Born as Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio was critical in paving the way for Rap Music to be accepted by a larger audience than it had been so prior to the 1990s. With this album, his second and the title track from it, he successfully allowed Rap Music to become a more commonly listened-to type of music, which would ultimately replace Rock Music as the primary listened-to form of music by the 2010s. Sadly, Coolio is no longer with us, having died in late 2022 from a drug overdose, which in retrospect should not have happened. Still, his legacy as a key figure in Rap Music still is present today. Let’s take a listen to this release and we hope it lives up to its promise as a great Rap Music album.

That’s How It Is – Skit features L.V. Begins with some Gangster chat, and has some interesting talk about life. That is until one hears gunshots and the chatter continues. Obviously, this is what life in the worst areas of the USA is like. It fades out at the end with the sound of police sirens and helicopters prevalent.

Geto Highlites begins with some sampled vocals, stating: “What you going to play now?” It enters into a lush and tranquil sounding Rap tune that is really smooth and excellent to listen to. Coolio sings and raps his way through with excellence and style throughout. This is quite unlike anything else out there in the music scene from 1995 or since. This is the best sort of Rap Music to play in one’s car as you cruise down through the suburbs or the beach. A really tremendous and excellent listening experience, this music deserves more attention and credit than one would typically give it. There are plenty of Gangsta Rap lyrics throughout, with a great bunch of musical loops and samples to add to the flavour. If you live in either California or Florida, along the coastal areas, you will totally dig this music. Some socially conscious Rap lyrics are present as well, dealing with thug life, drugs and crime throughout. Of course, one would never wish for another to do drugs in a realistic mindset. Still, this tune openly deals with such issues. A fantastic listening experience. The outro sounds mint and lush and is very 1990s in a musical way. Excellent, all the way through to the fadeout.

Gangsta’s Paradise is the main hit of the album, featuring L.V. It was a huge chart hit at the time. It begins with some keyboard-based strings, low-end basslines and powerful beats. Coolio raps some powerful lyrics throughout, and this tune is immortal. An interesting listen with some definitely strong lyrics. When the chorus hits, one is taken to another place and this tune is a radio-ready classic Rap tune. The lyrics are about making it through life despite one’s limited circumstances, in a Gangsta Rap way. An awesome tune and L.V.’s guest vocals are more than welcome. This deserves repeat listens by all music fans out there, and it sounds amazing to this very day. A very enjoyable and punchy tune to listen to from beginning to end. This song deserves much more praise than it gets and is a fan favourite of any Rap Music fan who pays attention to the history of music. A fantastic song, through and through. Great to hear. It ends with the looped vocal harmonies that are in the main piece of this song.

Too Hot launches right into another lush and interesting-sounding piece of music. This sounds worthy and different throughout, and is a nice variation on the material before it, without straying too far from the original themes of this album. This has a nod and a wink to the spirit of Michael Jackson here, but in its own way. Nonetheless, another really great listening experience that sounds diverse, interesting and magical throughout. Coolio lives up to his name as a great music maker on this album. A great piece of social commentary with wah-wah guitar mixed into it, this is a very interesting piece of music. Worth your ears and time, and something very different musically. Another classic song by Coolio.

Cruisin’ has a faded intro with Fender Stratocaster styled wah-wah guitars, and quickly launches into a sensationally sweet listening experience that sounds tranquil. Coolio sounds cool indeed, and this music is a great and timeless listening experience throughout. The chorus has some female vocals throughout, which are a nice touch musically. Eventually, our female guest takes the microphone and she does a wonderful job doing some melodic rapping. A thoroughly interesting and enjoyable listen, there is a musical breakdown in the second half, before the chorus returns to its full glory. A really great tune to listen to. Coolio returns in the second half to illuminate this tune, before entering into a competitive rap battle with the lady guest. This is a very good tune, designed to be played on full in your car as you drive along the coast. Another fantastic tune, Coolio never loses appeal throughout.

Exercise Yo’ Game features E-40, Kam and 40 Thevz. It is a combined effort that sounds rather weird from the start. This is not the best track from this album, to be fair. Still, it is interesting and decent enough to listen to, but just not the best example of music from Coolio. The lyrics throughout are about gang life, typical Rap Music sort of stuff. In any case, this tune drags the album down a bit and it really should not do. The array of guest rappers does make this tune sound different, and their contributions throughout are very welcome. Nonetheless, a good piece of music that falls short of being a great piece of music. In any case, this isn’t outright bad, it just is lacking. A very lively and enjoyable song, warts and all. This could have also benefitted from some gentle editing as well, this is a bit lengthy for a Rap song. The outro is way too long.

1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New) is another one of the hits of this album. It launches with some strange samples, before launching into a very New York Disco Music-styled vibe throughout. This is good music and is a major improvement on the previous track. In any case, this mixture of Jazz, Rap and other African-American musical influences is very sweet to listen to. A really cool and inspired listening experience, this is some of the better Rap Music out of the 1990s. A very good and interesting listen with some rapid-fire lyrics, excellent beats and a social conscience on tape, this is proof perhaps that Coolio wasn’t just a one-trick pony. Worth listening to from start to finish. The outro sounds very fresh and divine.

Smilin’ begins with weird distorted Macy Gray-styled vocals and launches into a piece of music that is, quite frankly, awful. Coolio raps about lusting after women, and this tune comes across as a bit of a lacklustre embarrassment throughout. A rather ordinary listening experience, it seems that the album loses some of its shine by this point. Regardless, this does have its musical moments but is not outright enjoyable. By this point of the album, it is clear that most of the material is filler to match the enormously popular title track. This is not that good, to be fair. This is average music for Rap fans out there. Coolio seems lacking in the lesser songs, and the chorus is rather horrid. It’s over after four minutes in length and a lengthy outro.

Fucc Coolio – Skit begins with the sound of a phone being dialed, and has the sound of a conversation on a mobile phone (which was an expensive commodity at the time) and launches into a piece of dialogue about being at a nightclub, waiting for weed and friends. A bit weird, but yeah.

Kinda High, Kinda Drunk begins with some looped and distorted vocals, before quickly launching into a weird-sounding piece of music. By this point of the album, the quality is wearing off very quickly on the music. Coolio sounds like yet another selfish rapper on this track, and this music is not very impressive. It is difficult to love this song and does not sound at all impressive. In any case, you can skip ahead if you wish, but the repetitive music, try hard lyrics and other musical touches make for a lame sounding tune. It’s okay, but not sensationally great. Coolio is just another rapper here, and his lyrics and sound samples of puking up really aren’t appropriate throughout. Not a good track, a real failure here.

For My Sistas continues the album with some unimaginative sounds, launching into a piece of Rap backing music with wah-wah guitars. Coolio raps about women in a Gangsta Rap style, and although this is an improvement on the previous piece, it still sounds very much like filler here. A good listen, but nothing overly groundbreaking or special musically here. A real drag of a tune, this album is nothing overly special to listen to, sadly. A rather selfish-sounding piece of music with lyrics about Coolio lusting after women, this is not the greatest tune to listen to. In any case, this can be easily skipped. Nothing special about this tune, and again, a bit long in song length as well. The chorus is quite nice, however. A good tune without being a great tune.

Is This Me? begins with some tranquil digital sounds and quickly launches into a lush digital Rap ballad. An enjoyable tune about being in situations that aren’t the best, Coolio makes some good music on this album. The tune here has a powerful chorus and sounds really sweet, pretty and unique throughout. A guest rapper illuminates this tune nicely, and although this was released in 1995, it frequently references that it is 1996. An interesting and well-crafted piece of music, this is one of the more underappreciated and underrated tunes from this album. Coolio made some pleasant and interesting music in the Rap scene to listen to. All in all, a very good listening experience, through and through. A great digital ballad with pleasant wah-wah guitars. It fades out nicely at the end.

A Thing Going On sounds weird from the start, with high-pitched keyboard melodies. It quickly launches into another lush digital ballad that sounds quite good. A really sweet and romantic tune throughout, this is the best example of a rapper delivering a romantic and powerful musical statement devoted to a lady in mind. Nonetheless, this is some of the best-produced Rap Music from the 1990s, and it sounds amazing to this very day. The lyrics are deep and meaningful on this track, and Coolio showcases himself to be deeply and passionately in love with a lady of his own fancy. Turns out that rappers can be romantic, too. Indeed, this has a quirky and interesting storytale through about a major love affair. Musically, it is irresistable to hear. A genuinely good listen from start to finish. Worth your ears.

Bright as the Sun begins with slowed downtempo beats, and lush wah-wah guitars and enters into an interesting and unique-sounding piece of music. In any case, this tune is a relaxing listen. Coolio launches into this tune with some typical Rap Music lyrics, but nothing overly special or imaginative here in a musical sense. All in all, this music is a tremendous effort sonically. This sounds really cool, interesting and valuable throughout. This isn’t the greatest album ever, let alone the greatest Rap album ever, but it certainly has promise. This is more textural than a piece of lyrical mastery, but this does sound very gorgeous. This does drag on a little bit, but still, this is a really excellent listen for what it is. The wah-wah sounds throughout are very interesting and listenable. A good song to listen to if you feel upbeat or positive.

Recoup This is a short piece of intermission with some random sounds, including the sound of a typewriter and a phone ringing at the start. A secretary deals with phone calls and appointments for a record company. There is a twisted plot here where an angry rap star shoots the record executive and the secretary too, all over money. Not great, and definitely worth skipping.

The Revolution begins with some weird low-end sounds, and quickly launches into another weird digital Rap tune. This is not a very good listening experience, and it is clear that this LP is running out of steam towards the end of this album. Rapping about starting a revolution, this is by no means a really great idea for a tune, nor does it have any nicely constructed sounds present. A bit of a drag to listen to. Coolio is not the best person to incite a musical revolution, and the USA is hardly the country for it. Regardless, this is barely okay, it lacks consistency, beauty and melody throughout. A very repetitive piece of music as well. Rather a disappointing musical drag.

Get Up Get Down is the last piece here, and begins with some electronic bass guitar, quickly launching into another mediocre tune. This is okay, but it does not have a hugely great appeal musically throughout. Regardless, the music throughout is okay and the rapping is on point, but this is very dated-sounding today. Coolio obviously rushed this album, and the songs on it vary in quality. It’s not outright bad but there is definitely room for improvement on this album. The lyrics aren’t great, either. With profanities everywhere and drug references throughout, this isn’t exactly clever music to listen to. A bit of a musical drag to listen to, this album definitely runs out of steam towards the end. You can probably hit stop at this point, there is no need for one to listen to repetitive and unimaginative Rap Music. This wraps up with a barrage of rapping over the backing track. The song and album end with this tune finishing after five minutes and the guest rapper being told to finish up. Not great.

This is a mixed bag of an album release to listen to. Apart from the legendary Gangsta’s Paradise, there seems to be a ton of tracks that sound exactly the same, and which classify as filler. It seems that Coolio found that the title track of the album was a hit, and rushed to complete something to support it in the meantime. Therefore, this album is not the greatest album ever, nor the greatest Rap album ever. Should you listen to this album? Apart from the title track and hit single, probably not. There is simply too much filler here.

R.I.P. Coolio.

5/10