acknowledged the original by singing "living in a pastime paradise." Later in the performance, he sang the "living in a gangsta's paradise" line while L.V. Wonder came on stage about halfway through the song to a rousing ovation. A new arrangement was need to extend the song so Wonder would have room to sing, so Coolio joined Stevie at his studio to work it up before the performance. at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards, where it won for Single Of The Year. Joined by the New York Boys Choir, Stevie Wonder performed this song with Coolio and L.V.The first line of this song comes from the bible, Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." While King David praises God's protection like a shepherd to his flock, Coolio realizes that he walks alone in his valley - a volatile "gangsta's paradise.".Weird Al wasn't the only one to parody the song: "Shepherd's Paradise" is the parody version performed by ApologetiX, while "Algore Paradise" is a parody by Paul Shanklin satirizing Al Gore and Bill Clinton.They eventually made peace and appeared together at the 1996 American Music Awards. Weird Al Yankovic recorded a popular parody of this called "Amish Paradise." Coolio did not give him permission to use it and claimed Al "desecrated" his song.His record company, MCA, was hoping he would stay in that groove and release more upbeat songs - when they heard the brooding "Gangsta's Paradise" they were afraid it would alienate his fans. Coolio's first hit came a year earlier with "Fantastic Voyage," a party jam that made #3 in the US.This won the Grammy in 1995 for Best Rap Solo Performance.Having grown up in Compton, California, Coolio could certainly relate to the gangsta lifestyle (so could the song's co-writer Larry Sanders, who survived a shooting), but he says that the song is not about him, but about the kids portrayed in Dangerous Minds who feel they don't have control of their lives.After Coolio rewrote the lyric, Wonder gave his approval. They still had to clear the sample from Stevie Wonder, and this proved difficult, as he rejected the first version of "Gangsta's Paradise" because it contained swearing. Along with the song's producer David Rasheed, Coolio and Sanders crafted the song, with Sanders singing the hook.
Coolio wrote a lyric to express the feelings of despair and abandonment felt by the kids at the school, putting it to the track Sanders created.
Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, the film is about a troubled school and the challenges faced by the students and the idealistic teacher played by Pfeiffer.
(Large Variety) - started working on it and sent a demo to Collio, who was looking for a song to record for the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds. This is a reworking of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Pastime Paradise." It wasn't Coolio's idea to use Wonder's song a singer named Larry Sanders - who goes by the stage name L.V.