Gangsta's Paradise

"Gangsta's Paradise" is a song by American rapper Coolio, featuring singer L.V. The song was released on Coolio's album of the same name, as well as the soundtrack for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds. It samples the chorus and instrumentation of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Pastime Paradise".[1]

For other uses, see Gangsta's Paradise (disambiguation).

"Gangsta's Paradise"
Single by Coolio featuring L.V.
from the album Gangsta's Paradise, I Am L.V. and Dangerous Minds soundtrack
B-side"Fantastic Voyage"
ReleasedAugust 8, 1995
Recorded1994–1995
Genre
Length4:00
LabelTommy Boy
Composer(s)Stevie Wonder
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)Doug Rasheed
Coolio singles chronology
"Mama I'm in Love wit a Gangsta"
(1994)		 "Gangsta's Paradise"
(1995)		 "Too Hot"
(1995)
Music video
"Gangsta's Paradise" on YouTube
Audio sample
Coolio feat. L.V – "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • file
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The song was listed at number 85 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time[2] and number one biggest selling single of 1995 on U.S. Billboard.[3] In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.[4] NME listed the song at number 100 in their ranking of 100 Best Songs Of The 1990s in 2012.[5] Coolio was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film and a Billboard Music Award for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

The song has sold over 5 million copies in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany alone,[6][7][8] and at least 6 million worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. Coolio has performed this song live at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards with L.V. and Wonder and at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards with L.V.

Background and writing

The artists co-wrote the song with its producer Doug Rasheed, with Stevie Wonder receiving writing credits for the sampling of his song "Pastime Paradise" from his album Songs in the Key of Life.

The song begins with a line from Psalm 23:4: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death", but then diverges with: "I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left." Adding to some of the religious overtones are choral vocals in the background.[9] Coolio freestyled the first couple of lines, with the rest of the lyrics coming to him quickly in one sitting. He would later claim that the song ultimately came from a source outside himself, saying, "'Gangsta’s Paradise' wanted to be born; it wanted to come to life, and it chose me as the vessel." [10]

Due to the sampling of Stevie Wonder's music, "Gangsta's Paradise" is one of the few Coolio tracks that does not contain any profanity, as Wonder himself would not allow it. Coolio said, "I had a few vulgarities...and he wasn't with that. So I changed it. Once he heard it, he thought it was incredible."[11]

Critical reception

Bill Lamb from About.com described the song as "riveting and atmospheric".[12] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly said it "may be the bleakest tune ever to top the pop singles chart." He added, "With its ghostly choir and lyrics about a gun-toting 23-year-old who kneels in the streetlight wondering if he’ll live to see 24, it examines the abyss with journalistic coolness."[13] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger noted it as a "complete pop greatness".[14] Mike Wood from Idolator called the song a "rap rhapsody".[15]

Impact and legacy

In 1999, The Village Voice listed "Gangsta's Paradise" number 4 in their list of "Top Singles Of The 90's".

In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".[4]

In 2012, NME listed the song at number 100 in their ranking of "100 Best Songs Of The 1990s".[5]

In 2019, Stacker placed it at number 19 in their list of "Best 90s pop songs".[16]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her earlier role in Dangerous Minds.[17] Initially Coolio was concerned with the video's treatment stating, "I wanted some low-riders and some shit in it; I was trying to take it 'hood'." Despite this he trusted Fuqua and was ultimately pleased with the final result.[10]

When Coolio won the Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, he said in a press conference that Bone Thugs-n-Harmony deserved the award for "Tha Crossroads".

Cast & credits

Chart performance

The single reached number one in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand, making it Coolio's most successful single. In Australia, the song stayed at No. 1 for 14 weeks, a record that would be broken 22 years later by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You".[18] Following Coolio's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother 6, it re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at No. 31. In the United Kingdom, "Gangsta's Paradise" is the first rap single to sell over a million copies.

In the United States, the single spent twelve weeks in the top two of the Billboard Hot 100, of which three were spent at No. 1 and nine at No. 2, putting "Gangsta's Paradise" in joint fourth place for the most weeks spent at No. 2 by a single in the chart's history. The song was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on February 23, 1996 indicating 3 million copies sold.[19] It has sold a further 1.8 million downloads in the US in the digital era as of September 2017.[20]

Parodies and covers

There are several parodies of the song, including "Amish Paradise" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, which was released the following year, reaching number 53 on the U.S. chart. Coolio claimed that he did not give permission for the parody, which led to disagreements between the two. Yankovic claimed that he had been told Coolio had given the go-ahead through his record label, and apologized. Because of this incident, Yankovic now seeks approval for song parodies through the artists themselves, rather than communicating through intermediaries. Photos from the XM Satellite Radio booth at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show suggest Yankovic and Coolio may have made amends. Coolio himself said in a 2011 interview that he had since "apologized to him (Yankovic)",[21] further stating in a Rolling Stone retrospective that objecting to the parody "was probably one of the least smart things I've done over the years." [10]

L.V. released a solo version of the single in 1996 on his debut album, I Am L.V. This version did not feature Coolio, and featured additional lyrics written by L.V. himself, with rap lyrics written by Scarface and Dani Blooms.

In 1996, the song was covered by Battery for the electro-industrial various artists compilation Operation Beatbox and their 1996 album, Distance.[22] American post-hardcore band In Fear And Faith covered the song in 2008. Austrian melodic death metal band Artas covered the song in 2008 on the album The Healing. In 2014, post-hardcore band Falling in Reverse covered the song for the compilation album Punk Goes 90s Vol. 2. The video included an appearance by Coolio. In 2015, Postmodern Jukebox produced a version in a 1920s jazz style. That same year, New Zealand hard rock band Like a Storm covered the song on their second studio album, Awaken the Fire.[23]

In other media

Accolades

Billboard

  • Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers 1995
    • Top Hot 100 Single number one
    • Top Hot 100 Single Sales number one (2.5 million copies) (2x platinum)

Grammy Awards

  • Best Rap Solo Performance
  • Record of the Year (nominated)

MTV

Track listings
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Gangsta's Paradise"4:00
2."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental)3:49
CD single bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Gangsta's Paradise"4:02
2."Fantastic Voyage" (original version)4:05
3."Mama I'm In Love Wit A Gangsta" (clean radio mix)4:09
4."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental)3:50
CD maxi
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gangsta's Paradise" 4:00
2."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental) 3:49
3."Fantastic Voyage" (album version)Coolio4:04

Charts

Certifications

}}

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[88] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[89] Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[90] Platinum 50,000*
Germany (BVMI)[91] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Italy (FIMI)[92] Platinum 50,000
Netherlands (NVPI)[93] Platinum 75,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[94] Platinum 10,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[95] 4× Platinum 40,000*
Sweden (GLF)[96] Gold 25,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[97] 2× Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[98] 3× Platinum 2,000,000+[99]
United States (RIAA)[19]
(physical) 		3× Platinum 3,000,000[100]
United States
(digital) 		— 1,800,000[20]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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