Rap group from
Oakland,
California. They've recorded 3 albums:
Kill My Landlord,
Genocide and Juice, and
1998's
Steal This Album. Original group was rappers
Boots and
E-roc and
DJ Pam the Funkstress, one of the few female DJs around. Boots' real name is
Raymond Riley and he is know for and by his big
afro.
The first album is notable for some very unusual sentiments as an anti-marijuana song "Last Blunt" and "I Ain't the Nigga"--
they say, "it don't mean the same
if you spell it with an 'a'"
but that's an argument that makes me itch, I twitch
if I took the 't' out would I still be "bitch"?
Don't be the coolie or the moolie
or the boo with the jigga'.
Don't be the one. Don't be the Nigga!
They backed off of that kinda stuff for their second album which was more of a commercial success. The songs are not nearly as good as the first, IMHO. The first two albums are on Wild Pitch Records who are well known for being shitty to their artists
Steal This Album on Dogday Records is a bit of a return to form. E-roc has left the group, though he appears on one song. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien appears on one track. But Boots still has a great style and can write brilliant lyrics, which don't shy away from being political, though they may not be as radical as they once were. The Coup are excellent indie hip-hop, which is a very good thing to listen to, especially if you only have major label rap that Dr. Dre produced in your collection.