| C-Bo | |
| Birth Name: | Shawn Thomas |
| Birth Date: | 1971/1972 |
| Birth Place: | Waco, Texas, US |
| Origin: | Meadowview, Sacramento, California, US[1] [2] |
| Genre: | Gangsta rap |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
Shawn Thomas (born 1971/1972), 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.[3] He ineffectively argued for appeal three times.[4]
Although some charges were dropped as it was viewed as a violation of his First Amendment rights,[5] he was arrested in California in 1998, under the suspicion that his violent rap lyrics violated his parole.[6] 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.[7] Also known for his frequent collaborations with fellow California-based rappers, he appeared in numerous videos for Tupac Shakur.
Thomas was raised in a single family home amongst three brothers and five sisters, during that time he became a member in the Garden Blocc Crips.[8]
Since the age of 10 Thomas spent nearly half of his life in and out of incarceration,[9] 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.[10] [11]
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 King Miller was killed at age 23 during the act.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
Thomas is married with 3 children, he enjoys skiing, camping and fishing.[16]
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [17] | US R&B [18] | |||
| 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 | — | — | |
| 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 | |||
| "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 | ||
| "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 | |||
| "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 | |||
| "Grown Ass Man" | 2009 | Tha Realest | Witness Tha Realest | |
| "Stay on It" | Yukmouth | The West Coast Don | ||
| "Fast Quarter" | 2011 | E-40, Yukmouth | ||
| "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 | ||
| "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" | E.D.I. Mean | EDIDON, June Summers, Nutt-So | The Hope Dealer, Pt. 1 |