It Takes a Thief (album)
It Takes a Thief | ||||
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Studio album by Coolio | ||||
Released | July 19, 1994 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 59:14 | |||
Label | Tommy Boy | |||
Producer | Paul Stewart, Bryan Wino Dobbs, Rashad Coles, Billy Boy, Crazy Toones, CS Coleman | |||
Coolio chronology | ||||
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Singles from It Takes a Thief | ||||
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It Takes a Thief is the debut studio album by American rapper Coolio.[1] It was released on July 19, 1994, on Warner Bros. Records. The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to the often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap.
"Fantastic Voyage," a hit from the early 1980s, returned to the charts after Coolio released a song of the same name from this album. The song received regular airplay on MTV and became his breakout hit, peaking at No. 3 in the US. Songs "Smokin Stix," "Can-o-Corn," and "Sticky Fingers" first appeared in the film Poetic Justice.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Robert Christgau | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[4] |
Los Angeles Times | [5] |
NME | 8/10[6] |
Rolling Stone | [7] |
The Los Angeles Times concluded that It Takes a Thief "may be one of the best hard-core Compton rap records since the first N.W.A. album."[5] USA Today wrote that the album "mixes hard-core themes with tongue-in-cheek attitude and funky, unflinching rhythms."[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Artis Ivey, unless otherwise noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fantastic Voyage" | Artis Ivey; Bryan Wino Dobbs; Fred Alexander; Norman Beavers; Marvin Craig; Tiemeyer McCain; Thomas Shelby; Stephen Shockley; Otis Stokes; Mark Adam Woods | 4:03 |
2. | "County Line" | Artis Ivey; Bryan Wino Dobbs; Allen Jones; Charles Allen; Clifton Chase; Ed Fletcher; Frank Thompson; Harvey Henderson; James Alexander; Larry Dodson; Lloyd Smith; Mark Bynum; Melvin Glover; Michael Beard; Sherman Guy; Sylvia Robinson; Winston Stewart | 2:57 |
3. | "Mama, I'm in Love with a Gangsta" (featuring LeShaun) | Artis Ivey; Chris Jasper; Ernie Isley; Marvin Isley; O'Kelly Isley Jr.; Ronald Isley; Rudolph Isley; Roy Ayers | 4:09 |
4. | "Hand on My Nutsac" | 3:28 | |
5. | "Ghetto Cartoon" | Artis Ivey; Autry DeWalt; Freddie Perren; Willie Woods | 3:13 |
6. | "Smokin' Stix" | Artis Ivey; Allan Felder; Talmadge Conway | 3:20 |
7. | "Can-o-Corn" | 3:40 | |
8. | "U Know Hoo!" (featuring WC) | Artis Ivey; William Calhoun | 3:51 |
9. | "It Takes a Thief" | 5:06 | |
10. | "Bring Back Somethin' fo da Hood" | Artis Ivey; Ralph MacDonald | 3:11 |
11. | "N da Closet" | Artis Ivey; Frank Wilson; James Nyx Jr.; Kathy Wakefield; Marvin Gaye | 3:51 |
12. | "On My Way to Harlem" | 3:13 | |
13. | "Sticky Fingers" | Artis Ivey; Bryan Wino Dobbs; Clifton "Jiggs" Chase; Ed Fletcher; Melvin Glover; Sylvia Robinson | 2:59 |
14. | "Thought You Knew" | 3:19 | |
15. | "Ugly Bitches" | Artis Ivey; Ken Gold; Michael Denne | 4:06 |
16. | "I Remember" (featuring J-Ro and Billy Boy) | Artis Ivey; Al Green; Kenneth Gamble; Leon Huff; Willie Mitchell | 4:47 |
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[12] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Considine, J. D. "Coolio gets personal, mixing meaning with his infectious groove". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ "It Takes a Thief Coolio". AllMusic.
- ^ "Coolio". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ "It Takes a Thief". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ a b Gold, Jonathan (24 July 1994). "Coolio 'It Takes a Thief'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 65.
- ^ McCann, Ian (15 October 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 54. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Album Reviews, Ratings, and Best New Albums". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ^ Jones IV, James T. (19 Sep 1994). "Two rappers outside the gangsta scene". USA Today. p. 4D.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Coolio – It Takes a Thief". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – Coolio – It Takes a Thief". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- It Takes a Thief at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- It Takes a Thief
- Gangsta's Paradise
- My Soul
- Coolio.com
- El Cool Magnifico
- The Return of the Gangsta
- Steal Hear
- From the Bottom 2 the Top
- Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits
- "Fantastic Voyage"
- "Gangsta's Paradise"
- "Too Hot"
- "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"
- "It's All the Way Live (Now)"
- "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)"
- "C U When U Get There"
- "Ooh La La"
- "Gangsta Walk"
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