Coolio - Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits (2001)

Over the course of three albums in the 1990s, Coolio took West Coast hip-hop even farther into the mainstream than Dr. Dre. Even though he nearly succumbed to the perils of the streets in his youth, Coolio's take on the '70s funk-obsessed L.A. sound was usually far more good-humored than the menacing Death Row crew. His gangsta roots could play to the hardcore faithful, but he also snagged plenty of younger listeners with his fun-loving party music and genial (if profane) comic persona. (In fact, it's difficult to imagine Puff Daddy becoming an across-the-board pop star without Coolio first sparking that younger audience's interest in hip-hop.) Coolio's broad appeal, combined with a knack for finding (often borrowing) memorable hooks, helped make him one of the best pop-rap artists of the '90s, as demonstrated by Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits. It's a straightforward 13-track collection centered around Coolio's signature party anthems -- "Fantastic Voyage," "Too Hot," "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" -- plus his moody masterpiece, "Gangsta's Paradise," and one previously unissued track, "Aw Here It Goes" (a theme for the Nickelodeon comedy series Kenan & Kel). Yet the lesser-known tracks are often pretty catchy themselves, proving that Coolio's talents extend beyond the handful of irresistible singles for which he's primarily known. Even if nothing else quite matches the heights of those few classics, Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits is still an infectious, consistently entertaining listen.~Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits Review by Steve Huey