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Coolio

 ((House of Blues, West Hollywood; 999 capacity; $ 20 top))

By DAVID WOLLOCK

Presented inhouse. Band: Coolio, DJ Fatbox, P.S. Lek Ratt, Shorte. Reviewed Oct. 3, 1995. Using his performance to try out songs from his forthcoming LP, and to showcase unknown acts signed to his Crowbar management company, superstar rapper Coolio couldn't move his crowd until the last three songs of his set. One of Coolio's first dates since he appeared at Lollapalooza, Tuesday's show was clearly a testing ground, and unrepresentative of Coolio's ability to rock a house of his core fans. Though the show was sold out, the O.J. verdict may have kept a chunk of ticket holders away. The majority that did attend no doubt were drawn by Coolio's monster crossover hit, "Gangsta's Paradise," from the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack (MCA). Top 40 station KIIS-FM sponsored the show with ticket giveaways and on-air plugs, yielding an audience more pop than hip-hop.
 

Coolio kicked off the set with a song from his unsigned protege act, 40 Thieves, who stayed onstage for most of the show as his hype men. Their energetic antics took eyes off Coolio, who, at times, deliberately hung back and let his boys flex. His range of theatrical facial expressions and wiry-framed movements that so perfectly echo his often comic lyrical depictions of the 'hood were, consequently, lost in the shuffle.

Street-savvy songs from Coolio's sophomore album, "Gangsta's Paradise" (Tommy Boy), due later this year, inspired only small ripples of head-bobbing in the crowd. Pulling girls up from the audience for an ersatz, pelvis-pumping Miami Bass tune (a la 2 Live Crew) caused some swells, as did an oddly placed, pass-the-mike posse cut, which featured Priority Records' underground rap darling, Ras Kass, also managed by Coolio.

But it wasn't until "County Line," Coolio's humorous, 1993 slice of ghetto life, that the crowd really came alive. Coolio kept the wave of energy going as he and crew slid in unison across the stage like a hip-hop chorus line to the Lakeside-inspired Top 40 hit "Fantastic Voyage." The playful number ended with recorded sounds of gunfire as the performers rushed off, a fitting segue into his uncharacteristically somber "Gangsta's Paradise."

Returning to the stage in preacher's robes, the rappers were joined by gospel-fed vocalist L.V., who contributed the record's potent chorus.

Scotti Bros. rapper Skee-Lo opened, stirring a half-full house with his chart-topping single, "I Wish ..."