I have to admit, I rolled my eyes when I discovered that this week was the anniversary of Coolio’s sophomore album, Gangsta’s Paradise. Coolio? With the crazy braids? (Unlike most old-school trends, ...

There was a three-year period in the ’90s where Coolio — the bug-eyed Compton-bred rapper best known for sampling a Midwest funk band to breakthrough success — became such an omnipresent figure in pop ...