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The song was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on Februindicating 3 million copies sold. 2, putting “Gangsta’s Paradise” in joint fourth place for the most weeks spent at No. 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. In the United Kingdom, “Gangsta’s Paradise” is the first rap single to sell over a million copies. Following Coolio’s appearance on Celebrity Big Brother 6, it re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at No. 1 for 14 weeks, a record that would be broken 22 years later by Ed Sheeran‘s “ Shape of You“. 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. 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“. 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. The music video for the song was directed by Antoine Fuqua, and featured Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her earlier role in Dangerous Minds. Once he heard it, he thought it was incredible.” Music video Coolio said, “I had a few vulgarities…and he wasn’t with that. He would later claim that the writing of the song was divine intervention saying “‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ wanted to be born it wanted to come to life, and it chose me as the vessel.”ĭue to the sampling of Stevie Wonder’s music, “Gangsta’s Paradise” is one of few Coolio tracks that does not contain any profanity, as Wonder himself would not allow it.
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Coolio freestyled the first couple of lines, with the rest of the lyrics coming to him quickly in one sitting.
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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. 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. and Wonder, at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards with L.V. Coolio has performed this song live at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards with L.V. 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. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.
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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. In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1‘s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. 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. It samples the chorus and instrumentation of Stevie Wonder‘s 1976 song “ Pastime 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.