Released in August 1995 in conjunction with the Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle Dangerous Minds, and boosted by a memorable video that featured the actress and various clips from the film, “Gangsta’s Paradise” not only transcended its original soundtrack tie-in, but also managed to transcend the widely-perceived stylistic and commercial limitations of hip-hop. Distinguished by Coolio‘s thoughtful lyrics and distinctive verbal flow, L.V.’s gospel-tinged wail and Doug Rasheed’s starkly funky production, the song is a deeply affecting listening experience - and its hook, lifted from Stevie Wonder‘s 1976 track “Pastime Paradise,” was absolutely impossible to shake. During the last five months of 1995, it was virtually impossible to go anywhere without hearing the soulful, streetwise strains of “Gangsta’s Paradise” blasting out of somebody’s radio.
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January 2023
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