MEMORIES:
PHOTOS:
Release History:
1995 - Gangsta's Paradise
1997 - My Soul
Members:
“Been spendin’ most our lives
Livin’ in a gangsta’s paradise…”
West Coast rap hit it big in the mid-90s, tending toward tough, dark lyrics and a hard-edged sound that was soon known as ‘gangsta rap.’ A notable exception to this harsh attitude was brought to us by Coolio, the crazy-haired rapper that gave us some of the most popular R&B/hip-hop songs of the 90s, like “Fantastic Voyage,” and “Gangsta’s Paradise.” He stayed true to the streets, while remaining upbeat and socially conscious, becoming one of the most popular and critically praised rappers in his time.
Coolio, like many other West Coast rappers was born in raised in Compton, California. He had always been into music and started rapping in the late 1970s when the trend started to emerge. Once out of high school, Coolio pursued music at a community college, where he would get his stage name after a student saw him dressed in a country-style shirt and playing a guitar… “Who do you think you are, Coolio Iglesias?” It stuck and was easy to remember. In th 1980s he became a part of the L.A. rap scene working alongside other up-and-coming rap stars, like Dr. Dre, and was a part of the hip-hop group, WC and the Maad Circle. After releasing just one single, “Whatcha Gonna Do,” crack cocaine addiction derailed his career. Once he got help and kicked the habit, he began performing again and recorded his debut in 1994, It Takes a Thief. The hot track off that album was “Fantastic Voyage” which sampled the Lakeside song of the same name, and became a worldwide hit, helping the album to go platinum.
In 1995, “Gangsta’s Paradise” written to the tune of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” was put in the soundtrack to the film Dangerous Minds, as execs at his label, Tommy Boy Records, felt that the socially-conscious single wouldn’t sell on its own. It ended up becoming a Grammy-winning #1 pop hit in the U.S. and became the first rap single to sell over a million copies in the U.K., and was the first ‘gangsta rap’ song to top the U.K. charts. The video, which featured Michelle Pfeiffer (the star of the film) and directed by famed video and film director, Antoine Fuqua, got heavy play on MTV.
As most will know, a song’s made it big once ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic parodies it, and “Gangsta’s Paradise” was no exception. “Amish Paradise” became a memorable hit, though caused some resentment between Coolio and Weird Al. Coolio’s label gave permission without his consent, thus creating the misunderstanding.
The single quickly spawned an album of the same name, Gangsta’s Paradise. The album sold very well, pushed along by the other single from the album, “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New).” With this, Coolio continued touring around the world, and began pursuing an acting career debuting in the 1996 comedy, Phat Beach, and finding a small role in 1997 with Batman and Robin.
In 1997, Coolio released a third album, which many speculate would have done well, had the timing been a little better. Hip-hop’s landscape changed drastically with the murders of Biggie Smalls (Notorious B.I.G.) and Tupac Shakur hanging over everyone’s head, and Puff Daddy was becoming a breakout hit with Coolio’s audience. For the 2002 released album, Coolio teamed up with Kenny Rogers in 1998 to record an updated version to The Gambler. In 2005, Coolio signed a worldwide record contract for three years under Subside Records, and has released a new single featuring Snoop Dogg, “Gangsta Walk.” The album The Return of the Gangsta was released in the late summer of 2006, giving fans another chance at a fantastic voyage with Coolio.
