Gangsta's Paradise (song)

"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio (born Artis Ivey) from the movie Dangerous Minds (1995) (starring Michelle Pfeiffer). The song was later released on the album Gangsta's Paradise in 1996. Coolio was awarded with a Grammy for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

Related Topics:
Rap - Coolio - Artis Ivey - Dangerous Minds - 1995 - Michelle Pfeiffer - Gangsta's Paradise - 1996 - Grammy - The Village Voice - Pazz & Jop

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The music is taken from "Pastime Paradise", a Stevie Wonder song from his album Songs in the Key of Life. Gangsta's Paradise uses the same tune, and a different orchestration of the same backing music. The lyrics are original.

Related Topics:
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life - Orchestration

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The song begins with a line from Psalm 23 from the Bible: 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 nothing left. Adding to some of the religious overtones are choral vocals in the background.

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Much of the lyrics are very tragic and are meant to be a criticism of the violence and tragedy of the "gangsta" life. The choral lines Tell me why are we so blind to see / That the ones we hurt are you and me offer an especially plaintive self-criticism.

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The song was extremely popular and heavily played during its release. It was the first rap song to be played on New York City's famous Z100 radio station. After the song's success, Z100 later expanded their playlists to include other hip hop, rap, and R&B music. Soon after, other mainstream popular music stations followed suit, adding "Gangsta's Paradise" and other hip hop to their lineups.

Related Topics:
New York City - Z100

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There are some parodies of the song, including "Amish Paradise" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Coolio claimed that he did not give permission for the parody, which led to disagreements between the two. Yankovic claimed that he was told Coolio had given the go-ahead through his record label, and apologized.

Related Topics:
Amish Paradise - "Weird Al" Yankovic

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The Ian Brown song "F.E.A.R." borrows the main riffs from "Gangsta's Paradise".

Related Topics:
Ian Brown - F.E.A.R.

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