POP MUSIC REVIEW : Coolio Reigns in Rap Paradise

Coolio bounded onto the House of Blues stage Tuesday like a long-gone champion returned home from a fierce battle. Not only did the L.A. rap star have the best-selling single of the year, “Gangsta’s Paradise,� to be happy about, but there were also new songs from his upcoming album to show off. He didn’t disappoint the responsive, multiracial crowd as he bounced, skated and low-rolled through a funky 45-minute set with very few lags.

Lined up across the stage, Coolio and his three sidemen came off like a South-Central version of the Four Tops, moving in tightly choreographed but relaxed dance routines while taking turns passing the microphone.

While the boss took charge during his multi-platinum hit “Fantastic Voyage� and the popular B-side “County Line,� his crew helped maintain movement without detracting from his performance. Coolio shifted from gangsta attitude to congenial host, depending on the mood of the song.

For the closing “Gangsta’s Paradise,� Coolio and company returned to the stage in choir robes after leaving to the sounds of recorded gunfire. The rapper delivered a rhymed parable about life on the street while singer LV belted out the Stevie Wonder-influenced chorus, creating a genuine gospel feel and giving Coolio’s words an emotion and poignancy that they don’t really capture on the recorded version.