Coolio’s fetish with being a gangster in his newest album is obvious. All is well with his No. 1 single “Gangsta’s Paradise,” a much-lauded song that received widespread attention with it’s inclusion in the movie “Dangerous Minds.” However, Coolio overextends this “gangster” theme, and tracks from his most recent album, Steal Hear, are not nearly as memorable as that mid-90s rap hit.

“Keep It Gangsta,” similar to another song on this latest album titled “Boyfriend,” has a rhythm that grows repetitive after only a short while — so much so that it’s difficult to keep your attention. This track isn’t anything special; we’ve all heard tracks like this before. And if this is what Coolio means by “Keep it Gangsta,” then one would be well-advised to do no such thing.

One song specifically, though, shines through the mediocrity on this album. Partially due to the use of a synthesizer, “Gangsta Walk,” the first single from Steal Hear, is a lively song with a catchy beat. Although you may parallel this song to “Gangsta’s Paradise” because of the name and the theme, “Gangsta Walk” isn’t nearly as hardcore.

With the exception of “Gangsta Walk” and a few other songs, this album either offers bland, overdone or unusual tracks. For example, “Lady & A Gangsta,” featuring K-La, contains strange samples. (Part of the beat during the chorus sounds like some sort of odd wind instrument.) Still, there are a couple of songs like “Dip It” and “Do It” that are not common but catchy and fun.

Much of Coolio’s material on this album seems to be about a gangster lifestyle and women — there’s really no diversity to be found here. However, looking into his repertoire, he was not always so consumed with this lifestyle. In Gangsta’s Paradise, “A Thing Goin’ On” is about love and cheating, and “Bright As the Sun” is about how being rich seemingly gets you respect. On his album It Takes A Thief, he talks about his childhood in the song “I Remember.” Sadly, many of the songs on Coolio’s newest album don’t have as much depth.

Steal Hear is directed towards teenagers and college kids who enjoy pop rap. While its guest artists like K-La, Goast, and Snoop Dogg are respectable, Coolio’s latest is simply not impressive.

2 stars out of 5