Steal Hear

AMG Review of Steal Hear

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

For massive fans only, Coolio's Steal Hear features tracks from his 2006 release The Return of the Gangsta and adds some new material and new cover art. The result is a slightly better album than the original with some filler removed and the emphasis shifted to Coolio's sense of humor. Listening to the man be brash on "Boyfriend" -- sending his girl home "all wobbly and her perm napped" -- is much more enjoyable than "They Don't Know," which unrhythmically grumbles about today's up-and-coming rappers and ends up the hip-hop equivalent of "you kids get off my lawn!" Luckily, there are more laughs than gripes, plus a Snoop Dogg appearance to boot, but if you bought the 2006 release you already have the Snoop track, and there's no great reason to update.