How Gangsta's Paradise Changed the Course of Hip-Hop
How Gangsta's Paradise Changed the Course of Hip-Hop
Image source, Getty Images
When Coolio heard for the pr my first Gangsta's Paradise, he had the same reaction as all of us.
"I was like, 'Damn, I really like this song.'"
The Pennsylvania-born, Compton-raised rapper was at his manager's house in 1995 to collect a check, when he noticed producer Doug Rasheed playing along to the song in another room.
"So I went to Doug and said, 'Yo! What is it?'"
"He said, 'It's just a song we're working on,'
"And immediately I said, 'It's mine'. Just like that.
"I freestyled the whole first line, then sat down, took a pen and started writing."
Exit in August 1995, and boosted by a memorable video featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, the song immediately ruled the airwaves.
Those wavering stings, the chorus another world and that hovering hook, combined with Coolio's distinctive confessional storytelling, made this an instant classic.
[embedded content]< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00">It was the first "serious" rap song to dominate the UK and US charts, opening the door for acts like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G, who, until then, had been considered too abrasive for mainstream audiences.
When Coolio heard for the pr my first Gangsta's Paradise, he had the same reaction as all of us.
"I was like, 'Damn, I really like this song.'"
The Pennsylvania-born, Compton-raised rapper was at his manager's house in 1995 to collect a check, when he noticed producer Doug Rasheed playing along to the song in another room.
"So I went to Doug and said, 'Yo! What is it?'"
"He said, 'It's just a song we're working on,'
"And immediately I said, 'It's mine'. Just like that.
"I freestyled the whole first line, then sat down, took a pen and started writing."
Exit in August 1995, and boosted by a memorable video featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, the song immediately ruled the airwaves.
Those wavering stings, the chorus another world and that hovering hook, combined with Coolio's distinctive confessional storytelling, made this an instant classic.
[embedded content]< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00">It was the first "serious" rap song to dominate the UK and US charts, opening the door for acts like 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G, who, until then, had been considered too abrasive for mainstream audiences.
Image source, Getty Images
