Coolio’s 1995 megahit “Gangsta’s Paradise” brought hip-hop to new mainstream heights. Featuring a haunting Stevie Wonder sample and a soulful hook (“been spending most our lives living in a gangsta’s paradise”), the song was a cautionary tale of street life that captivated the world. It topped charts globally (Billboard’s #1 of 1995) and won a Grammy, becoming an iconic ’90s rap anthem immortalized by its use in the film Dangerous Minds. Even today, its opening choir and powerful verses instantly evoke the struggle and hope it so passionately conveyed.
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