| Birth name | Shawn Thomas |
|---|---|
| Birth date | January 14, 1972 (age 53) [1] |
| Birth place | Waco, Texas, US |
| Origin | Meadowview, Sacramento, California, US[2][3] |
| Genre | Gangsta rap |
| Occupation | Rapper · record producer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Label | Noo Trybe · Warlock · Virgin · EMI · West Coast Mafia · Ca$hville |
Shawn Thomas (born January 14, 1972), better known by his stage name C-Bo, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California. Known for his extensive legal troubles, he was the first notable rapper to be jailed due to his lyrical content in 1998. His 1995 song, "Deadly Game" (with X-Raided) earned this distinction, as its lyrics were a scathing critique of political officials, including governor Pete Wilson, and California's Prop. 184 three-strikes law.[4][5] He ineffectively argued for appeal three times.[6]
Although some charges were dropped as it was viewed as a violation of his First Amendment rights,[7] he was arrested in California in 1998, under the suspicion that his violent rap lyrics violated his parole.[8] He rapped his court statement to the presiding judge, in Ohio, who gave C-Bo probation on the condition that he also rap in a Public Service Announcement.[9] Also known for his frequent collaborations with fellow California-based rappers, he appeared in numerous videos for Tupac Shakur.[1]
Early life
Thomas was raised in a single family home with three brothers and five sisters.[2] During that time he became a member of the Garden Blocc Crips.[10][11]
Music career
In a 1995 interview with Rap Pages, DJ Screw named C-Bo as his "favorite artist of all time".[12]
Legal issues
Since the age of 10 Thomas spent nearly half of his life in and out of incarceration,[13] entering the criminal justice system at age 14, being arrested 40-50 times spending time at Soledad State Prison, Folsom State Prison, and Deuel Vocational Institution.[1][14]
During a 1993 music video shoot, Thomas fired a shot in the air to get people's attention and stop a potential gang situation. Instead it made matters worse, confusing the crowd and causing more shots to ring off. His friend Kean Miller was killed at age 23 during the act.[2][4]
In a 1996 incident Thomas was sentenced to 15 months in jail. A firearm used by him caused a death of one man during a rival gang confrontation.[15]
In March 1998, he was sentenced to two more months in prison in Sacramento, after testing positive for marijuana which violated the terms of his probation.[16]
In August 2017, during the filming of a music video, a shootout occurred leaving 1 dead and 4 injured. This came after rapper Mozzy and Thomas had exchanged diss tracks during the same month.[17]
Personal life
Thomas is married with 3 children,[15][2] he enjoys skiing, camping and fishing.[11]
Discography
Singles
Title | Year | Featured artist(s) | Producer | Album / Label notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "OT Trips" | 2022 | — | Brit on the Beat | non-album single |
| "The Hustler" | — | |||
| "Mo Money" | — | |||
| "Let's Ride" | Kafeeno | |||
| "Trapped" | 2023 | — | ||
| "I Am American" | 2025 | — | ||
| "Soldier" | 2025 | C-Bo & X-Raided | Strange Music / Virgin Music Group |
Studio albums
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| scope="col" style=font-size:90%;"| US [18] | scope="col" style=font-size:90%;"| US R&B [19] | ||
| Gas Chamber | 1993 | — | 53 |
| Tales from the Crypt | 1995 | 99 | 4 |
| One Life 2 Live | 1997 | 65 | 12 |
| Til My Casket Drops | 1998 | 41 | 4 |
| The Final Chapter | 1999 | 81 | 20 |
| Enemy of the State | 2000 | 91 | 24 |
| Life as a Rider | 2002 | — | 41 |
| Desert Eagle | — | — | |
| The Mobfather | 2003 | 199 | 37 |
| Money to Burn | 2006 | — | 71 |
| Cali Connection | 2012 | — | — |
| Orca | — | — | |
| The Mobfather II | 2015 | — | — |
| The Problem | 2017 | — | — |
| Animal | 2019 | — | — |
Collaborative albums
- Blocc Movement (with Brotha Lynch Hung) (2001)
- Gang Affiliated (with West Coast Mafia Gang) (2004)
- In Thugz We Trust (with Thug Lordz) (2004)
- 100 Racks In My Backpack (with San Quinn) (2006)
- Thug Lordz Trilogy (with Thug Lordz) (2006)
- The Moment of Truth (with Killa Tay) (2006)
- Tradin' War Stories (with Omar "Big-O" Gooding) (2008)
- Thug Money (with Thug Lordz) (2010)
Compilation albums
- The Best of C-Bo (1995)
- C-Bo's Best Appearances '91-'99 (2001)
- West Coast Mafia (2002)
- West Side Ryders (2003)
- C-Bo's Lost Sessions (2004)
- West Side Ryders II (2005)
- Best of the Girth (2005)
- The Greatest Hits (2005)
- West Side Ryders III (2007)
- West Coast Classics (2007)
- C-Bo's Bulletproof (2007)
- West Side Ryders IV: World Wide Mob (2008)
- West Side Ryders V (2011)
- C-Bo Trilogy (2012)
- OG Chronicles (2014)
- Mobfather: The John Gotti Pack (2018)
Mixtapes
- Underground & Unreleased with West Coast Mafia Gang (2004)
- West Coast Durty with Lil' Flip (2004)
- The Money to Burn Mixtape (2006)
- Cashville Takeover with Cashville Records (2009)
- West Coast Mafia Music (2010)
- I Am Gangsta Rap (2013)
Extended plays
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| scope="col" style=font-size:90%;"|US [18] | scope="col" style=font-size:90%;"|US R&B [19] | ||
| The Autopsy | 1994 | — | 22 |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Smokin' Da Bomb" | 1994 | Marvaless, Rup Dog | Ghetto Blues |
| "Can't Stand the Heat" | Marvaless | ||
| "Hard Core" | 1995 | Marvaless, Pizzo | Just Marvaless |
| "That's How We Break Bread" | TRU | True | |
| "Tradin' War Stories" | 1996 | 2Pac, Outlawz | All Eyez on Me |
| "Ain't Hard 2 Find" | 2Pac, B-Legit, D-Shot, E-40, Richie Rich | ||
| "Code Red" | Marv Mitch & LeMay | Livin In Tha Strange | |
| "See the Light" | Marvaless | Wiccked | |
| "Gotta Buy Your Dope from Us" | B-Legit, Little Bruce | The Hemp Museum | |
| "Niggaz Get They Wig Split" | B-Legit, Celly Cel | ||
| "Major Factorz" | 1997 | JT the Bigga Figga, Young Meek | Game Tight |
| "The Funk Is On" | Lunasicc, Marvaless | Mr. Lunasicc | |
| "It's on, on Sight" | 1998 | E-40 | The Element of Surprise |
| "Ride" | Celly Cel | The G Filez | |
| "Deadly Weapon" | Marvaless | Fearless | |
| "Mafia Niggaz" | Marvaless, Steady Mobb'n | ||
| "Over Drive" | Lunasicc, 151, Killa Tay, Mob Figaz | A Million Words, a Million Dollars | |
| "Big Dawgs" | Killa Tay, J-Dubb, O-Fed | Mr. Mafioso | |
| "Thug Money" | Guce | If It Ain't Real, It Ain't Official | |
| "Mob" | 1999 | Kokane | They Call Me Mr. Kane |
| "Armaggedon" | Mob Figaz | C-Bo's Mob Figaz | |
| "Fastlane" | |||
| "Mafioso Type" | |||
| "No Money" | Mob Figaz, Huccabucc, Kaos | ||
| "Prepare to Die" | Mob Figaz, Huccabucc, Young Meek | ||
| "Thug World" | Mob Figaz, Spice 1 | ||
| "Cause I Can" | E-40, Jayo Felony | Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self-Made Millionaire | |
| "Flossed Out" | Mike Mosley, Emidy, Official London Breezy, Will | Platinum Plaques | |
| "Kaviealstars" | 3X Krazy, Otis & Shug | Immortalized | |
| "Thug Disease" | South Central Cartel, Spice 1 | Concrete Jungle Vol. 1 | |
| "The World Keeps Turnin'" | Pizzo | Heater Calhoun | |
| "Straight G'z" | |||
| "Hard Ball?" | 2000 | Killa Tay | Snake Eyes |
| "The Murda Show" | |||
| "Whoo Ride" | Thug Thisle | ||
| "One Luv" | Spice 1 | The Last Dance | |
| "Ride 4 Me" | Spice 1, Rod-Dee | The Playa Rich Project | |
| "Block Monsters" | Mac Mall, JT the Bigga Figga | Beware of Those | |
| "Do It Right" | 2001 | Yukmouth, Phats Bossi | Thug Lord: The New Testament |
| "Smile" | Yukmouth, CJ Mac | ||
| "Paper Made" | Big Hollis | Knocks 2001 | |
| "I'm a Boss" | Daz Dillinger, JT the Bigga Figga, Yukmouth, Dru Down | Game for Sale | |
| "Crippin'" | Daz Dillinger | Who Ride wit Us: Tha Compalation, Vol. 1 | |
| "Blaze Up the City" | 2002 | 10sion, I.V.A.N. The Terrible, Outlawz | 10sion |
| "What!" | Messy Marv | Turf Politics | |
| "Fuck You" | Luniz | Silver & Black | |
| "Smack Yo Self" | Young Noble, Hellraza | Street Warz | |
| "Deadly Game" | X-Raided | Deadly Game | |
| "Thug Lordz" | 2003 | Yukmouth | Godzilla |
| "Nothing Over My G'z" | JT the Bigga Figga, Killa Tay | Game Tight Vol. 2 | |
| "Countin' Money" | JT the Bigga Figga, Killa Tay, Mac Mall, Marvaless, Pizzo | ||
| "Can We Ball?" | JT the Bigga Figga, Killa Tay | ||
| "Can U Deal With This?" | 2004 | Big Lurch, Killa Tay | It's All Bad |
| "Sav Boyz" | San Quinn, Killa Tay | I Give You My Word | |
| "American Me" | Yukmouth, Chino Nino, Young Noble | United Ghettos of America Vol. 2 | |
| "The Slide Show" | Yukmouth, Nate, Richie Rich | ||
| "United Ghettos of America part 2" | Yukmouth, 151, Dru Down, Eastwood, Roscoe, Spice 1, Tha Realest | ||
| "Big Boy" | 2005 | J-Flo, Yukmouth | Sick Sick Em |
| "Leave the Ridin' to Us" | Spice 1, Yukmouth | The Truth | |
| "Ghetto Slums" | JT the Bigga Figga, Phats Bossi | Neighborhood Supastarz | |
| "Gangstas' & Ballas" | 2007 | Young Bleed | Once Upon a Time in Amedica |
| "West Side" | 2008 | Yukmouth, Glasses Malone | Million Dollar Mouthpiece |
| "Thuggin Till I Die" | Outlawz | We Want In: The Street LP | |
| "Grown Ass Man" | 2009 | Tha Realest | Witness Tha Realest |
| "Stay on It" | Yukmouth | The West Coast Don | |
| "Fast Quarter" | 2011 | E-40, Yukmouth | Revenue Retrievin': Graveyard Shift |
| "On My Side" | The Jacka, Smigg Dirtee | Flight Risk | |
| "Like Us" | Pimp C, Smoke D, Vicious | Still Pimping | |
| "Hittin' a Lick" | 2012 | E-40, T-Nutty | The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 2 |
| "Blowin on Jamaica" | Yukmouth, Young Noble | Half Baked | |
| "Put Da Clip In" | 2013 | Young Noble, Young Buck | Outlaw Nation Vol. 2 |
| "Salute the West" | Westcoast Stone, Killa Tay, Kokane, Wratchet Wrico | Salute The West | |
| "Real 1's" | Sean T, Meccah Dawn | ||
| "Choppa on Deck" | 2014 | Yukmouth, Young Buck | GAS (Grow & Sale) |
| "Real Life" | Philthy Rich, M Dot 80 | A~1 Since Day One | |
| "Life of a Rider" | 2015 | Lil Mo, Beast, Matt Black | |
| "Bomb First" | 2024 | Matteocci Tha Don | Single |
| "Made a Man of Me" | EDIDON, June Summers, Nutt-So | The Hope Dealer, Pt. 1 |
References
- ^ Arnold, Eric K. (2005-04-13). "On Lockdown". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Jam, Billy (2012-02-03). "FREE SPEECH FREES RAPPER / About to be released, jailed C-BO says he's got a lot to say". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Weekly, L.A. (1998-03-11). "Jailhouse Rap". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Soren Baker (1998-03-06). "PAROLED RAPPER'S FIGHTING WORDS LAND HIM BACK IN JAIL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Palmer, Tamara (2018-06-13). "5 'Criminal' Songs That Were Used As Evidence In Court". Oxygen Official Site. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ "Rapper C-BO Jailed For Lyrics". MTV.com. 1998-03-04. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ "Charges Against Rapper Over Lyrics Dropped". Los Angeles Times. 1998-03-07. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ C-Bo jailed MTV Retrieved 28 April 2021
- ^ "C-BO Raps His Way Out Of Legal Trouble". MTV.com. 1998-07-31. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ Drake, David (2012-10-19). "The 30 Biggest Criminal Trials in Rap History". Complex. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ "Interview with C-Bo". The Santa Barbara Independent. 2015-05-14. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Allah, Bilal (November 1995). "So, Ya Wanna Be a DJ? DJ Screw: Givin' It to Ya Slow". Rap Pages. Vol. 4, no. 10. Beverly Hills, California: LFP, Inc.. p. 84. ISSN 1063-1283
- ^ Palmer, Tamara (2005-01-20). "C-Bo - Music - Miami - The Leading Independent News Source in Miami, Florida". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Jam, Billy (2012-02-03). "Jailed Rapper Has 90 Days Added to Term". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ "Rap Artist Is Jailed Over Anti-Police Lyrics". Los Angeles Times. 1998-03-04. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ International, United Press (2002-03-15). "Today In Music: A look back at pop music". UPI. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Berry, Peter (2017-08-28). "One Dead, Four Injured After Shooting at C-Bo Music Video Shoot". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ "C-BO Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "C-BO Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.