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Coolio, L.V.
About 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". The song was listed at number 85 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time and number one biggest selling single of 1995 on U. S. Billboard. In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. 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, 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, at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards with L. V..more »
- Year:
- 1996
- 4:00
- 307Views
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Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of deathI take a look at my lifeAnd realize there's nothing left'Cause I've been blasting and laughing so longThat even my momma thinks that my mind has goneBut I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve itMe be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard ofYou betta watch how ya talkingAnd where ya walkingOr you and your homies might be lined in chalkI really hate to trip but I gotta locAs they croak, I see myself in the pistol smokeFool, I'm the kinda g that little homie's want to be likeOn my knees in the nightSaying prayers in the street light1-Been spending most our livesLiving in a gangsta's paradise (2)Keep spending most our livesLiving in a gangsta's paradise (2)They got this situation, they got me facingI can't have a normal life, I was raised by the stateSo I gotta be down with the 'hood teamToo much television watching, got me chasing dreamsI'm an educated fool with money on my mindGot my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eyeI'm a low down gangsta, set tripping bangerAnd my homies is down so don't arouse my angerFool, death ain't nothing but a heart beat awayI'm living life do or die, what can I say?I'm twenty-three now but will I live to see twenty-fourThe way things is going I don't know.2-Tell me why are we so blind to seeThat the ones we hurt are you and me?(rpt 1)Power in the money, money in the powerMinute after minute, hour after hourEverybody's running, but half of them ain't lookingat what's going on in the kitchenBut I don't know what's cooking.They say I gotta learnBut nobody's gonna teach meIf they can't understand, how can they reach me?I guess they can'tI guess they won't, I guess they frontThat's why I know my life is out of luck, foo!(rpt 1, 2, 2)
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Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963), better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American Grammy Award-winning musician, rapper, actor, and record producer. He is best known for the song "Gangsta's Paradise", and the theme song for Kenan & Kel, a Nickelodeon show from 1996 to 2000. more »
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Sheet Music PDF Playlist
Written by: Stevie Wonder, Artis L Ivey Jr., Doug Rasheed, Lawrence Sanders
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Exploration Group LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., SHELLY BAY MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Performance Classification"Gangsta's Paradise" was Coolio's most successful single, achieving number one on multiple international charts, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany. |
Awards ClassificationIn 1996, "Gangsta's Paradise" earned Coolio a Grammy Award for the Best Rap Solo Performance. |
Release ClassificationThe song was originally released in 1995 as part of the official soundtrack for the movie "Dangerous Minds." |
Significance in Pop Culture Classification"Gangsta's Paradise" is often seen as a defining hip hop song of the 1990s, exhibiting influences of the prevailing West Coast and G-funk styles of that era. |
Film Appearance ClassificationThe song, along with the associated music video featuring Coolio and Michelle Pfeiffer, was prominently featured in the 1995 movie "Dangerous Minds," which explored issues of urban poverty and youth violence. |
Sales ClassificationThe song is one of the best-selling singles of all time, having sold over six million copies worldwide. |
Crossover Success ClassificationDespite being a rap song, "Gangsta's Paradise" found crossover success in both pop and contemporary hit radio markets, showcasing the increasing mainstream acceptance of hip-hop during the mid-1990s. |
Controversy ClassificationThere was controversy over "Gangsta's Paradise" since it sampled the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder without obtaining his initial permission. Thankfully, Wonder eventually agreed to allow it after the track was recorded. |
Legacy ClassificationRolling Stone Magazine placed it at number 38 on its list of "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time" in 2017. |
Parody ClassificationThe song was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic as "Amish Paradise," with Coolio originally voicing his disapproval. Years later, he admitted to having no hard feelings and even suggested that the success of “Gangsta’s Paradise” had been partly due to Weird Al’s parody. |
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