Maps of Music

My Soul (1997)

Where the lyrics of My Soul take you, and where it was really made.

Coolio's third studio album was a minor success, reaching number 39 on the Billboard 200 after two hit-driven records.

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Four producers credited: Romeo, Vic C., Bryan "Wino" Dobbs, DJ I-Roc
Built on funk beats with many older source recordings
Samples include James Brown's "The Payback", Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major", and Betty Wright's "Tonight Is the Night"
Funk beats kept, but with more care given to melody than in earlier work

Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. on August 1, 1963, in Monessen, Pennsylvania; moved to Compton, California, at age eight.
Began rapping as a teenager and earned the nickname Coolio Iglesias, later shortened to Coolio.
Worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and at Los Angeles International Airport security before becoming a rapper.

Recorded first single "Whatcha Gonna Do?" in 1987; joined WC and the Maad Circle in 1991.
Debut solo album It Takes a Thief (1994) was certified Platinum; lead single "Fantastic Voyage" peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Gangsta's Paradise" (1995) topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Released nine albums in total; the first three achieved mainstream success. Sold 4.8 million albums in the U.S.
Appeared in numerous television shows, including Futurama, Charmed, and Celebrity Big Brother 6 (placed 3rd).

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for staying consistent with the formula of the previous two records
Erlewine cited a more "elaborate production" with lesser-known samples and string instrumentation
Erlewine also praised Coolio's delivery, which combined dramedy with ear-grabbing funk
Vibe contributor Malik R. Singleton praised the overall energy throughout the album
Singleton called Coolio's "didactic delivery" versatile, moving from intense to inspirational
Singleton felt the album had too many weak hooks on tracks like "Throwdown 2000" and "Let's Do It"
A Portuguese-language article noted positive reviews for the use of violins and guitar and for obscure samples

Billboard 200: number 39
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: number 49
Only a minor success compared with Coolio's previous two albums
Only charting single "C U When U Get There": number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
The same single reached number 7 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and number 19 on the Rhythmic Top 40
It reached number 11 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart
Internationally, it reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the Canadian Singles Chart

The album's samples include James Brown's "The Payback", a source for many hip-hop producers of the era.
Samples also include Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" and Grace Jones's "Pull Up to the Bumper".
The album was Coolio's last release on Tommy Boy Records.
Coolio's next album, Coolio.com, came out in 2001.
The 2001 compilation Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits added a new song, "Aw Here It Goes".