Though the late rapper Coolio's career spanned eight studio albums, he's most well-known for the track Gangsta's Paradise, and the album of the same name. Not only did the song mark Coolio's early fame (it came out in 1995 and was on his second album), but it shed light on social issues at the time.
The music video also featured Michelle Pfeiffer, the star of the film that helped the rapper's song gain notoriety.
Unfortunately, before his passing in September 2022, Coolio had fallen out of the spotlight despite releasing multiple albums in the early 2000s and appearing on TV and in films.
Now, his legacy will largely be made up of Gangsta's Paradise, leading fans to wonder exactly why and how it was written back in the '90s.
Gangsta's Paradise Featured On Coolio's Second-Ever Album
The song Gangsta's Paradise was recorded fairly early in Coolio's career; his last album would come out 14 years later. At the time, the song was heralded as commentary on social issues. It did, of course, appear in a film about the subject.
But many seemed to interpret Coolio's rap as a way of forcing listeners to take him seriously.
While his rap career would set him up for a more comfortable life, Coolio (whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) wanted people to know who he was.
But there was apparently another reason the song was penned in the first place — as part of a job Coolio was working on.
It appears as if Coolio wrote and recorded the song intending for it not just to appear on his album, but also be used in a movie.
Coolio Wrote Gangsta's Paradise For The Movie Dangerous Minds
According to IMDb, the song was actually written for the film Dangerous Minds. The movie premiered in 1995 and expanded the rapper's reach even farther.
The song's use in the film led to actress Michelle Pfeiffer featuring in Coolio's music video, which was an interesting crossover for its time.
The fact that the song was apparently written for a movie could explain why a breakdown of the lyrics and music reflects more than just Coolio's personal experiences.
In fact, a breakdown by the University of Pittsburgh (of all sources!) suggests that Coolio remade another big-name artist's hit, then changed a few things (though that's an oversimplified explanation).
The site claims that the song is a "re-make and modernization" of Stevie Wonder's song Pastime Paradise from 1976.
According to Pittsburgh.edu, Coolio used the "same music for the refrain" and "adapts Wonder's background vocals in the chorus." The site doesn't mention whether Stevie Wonder knew his song was being 'adapted,' or whether there were any copyright infringement concerns.
In essence, they suggest, Coolio turned the background vocals into a church choir sound, which reinforces the "paradise" theme.
Coolio also quotes the 23rd Psalm at the beginning of the song, which of course is another "paradise" reference.
How Much Did Coolio Make From Gangsta's Paradise?
While Coolio's rap career became lucrative in the early '90s, having his hit song in a film set him up for future success.
Sadly, Coolio was only reported to have been worth about $500,000 in 2021; assuming he didn't earn much more than that in 2022, that was likely his net worth at the time of his passing.
But many of his earnings over the years did stem from the film Dangerous Minds. What's Their Net Worth states that Coolio's songs earned him a collective $130 to $225 thousand per year.
Of that, roughly $23,000 was said to have come from royalties for Gangsta's Paradise.
The song was used in popular media over the years, and was even briefly sampled in 2011's Bad Teacher, which featured Cameron Diaz. The track reappeared in Pain & Gain in 2013, too.
What Was Coolio Doing In 2022?
Coolio's albums weren't his only sources of income, though; Coolio also performed the opening track for Nickelodeon's 1990s show Kenan & Kel, as well as created a web series cooking show.
And at the time of his death, it was rumored that Coolio was working on new music. He was also performing and touring, per his Instagram.
Coolio passed away in September 2022 at age 59, leaving behind a rumored total of ten children, and apparently some unfinished musical works. The artist's Instagram, shortly after his passing, noted, "*Celebrating a billion streams of #gangstasparadise."
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