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ALBUMGangsta's Paradise - SingleCoolio, Holy Priest & 1 World
Albums by Coolio
ALBUMMy Soul (25th Anniversary)Coolio
ALBUMSteal HearCoolio
ALBUMEl Cool MagnificoCoolio
ALBUMSoul On IceRas Kass & Coolio
ALBUMGangsta's Paradise (25th Anniversary - Remastered)Coolio
ALBUMGangsta's Paradise 2k11 (Coolio vs. Rico Bernasconi & Kylian Mash) [Remixes]Coolio, Rico Bernasconi & Kylian Mash
ALBUMIt Takes a ThiefCoolio
Coolio's Popular Music Videos
Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.)
Coolio & L.V.
Fantastic Voyage
Coolio
Tag (feat. Too $hort & DJ Wino)
Coolio
Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.)
Coolio
Bad Guy (feat. Coolio)
LEL Brothas
TAG "YOU IT"
Coolio, Too $hort & DJ Wino
Miss You (feat. Haddaway, Coolio & Goast)
R&E a.k.a. Rumanetsa & Enchev
Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Lyric Video]
Coolio
Fantastic Voyage (Official Music Video) (HD)
Coolio
C U When U Get There (Official Music Video) ([HD]) [feat. 40 Thevz]
Coolio
Artist Playlists
Coolio Essentials
From “Gangsta’s Paradise” and beyond—revisit the best of the late rapper and actor (1963-2022).
Artist Biography
West Coast rap legend Coolio helped to define ’90s hip-hop with party jams like “Fantastic Voyage” and the more serious-minded “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
• The Compton native started rapping at 15 but fell victim to drugs in the ’80s. He turned his life around by working as a volunteer firefighter in the San Jose area.
• He recorded his first single, “Whatcha Gonna Do?” in 1987.
• In 1991, he joined the group WC and the Maad Circle and worked on the group’s debut LP, Ain’t a Damn Thang Changed.
• Coolio’s solo debut album, 1994’s It Takes a Thief, features the party anthem “Fantastic Voyage.” The single peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the year’s biggest songs.
• He recorded the 1995 song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” featuring R&B singer LV, for the film Dangerous Minds. Built on a sample from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 classic “Pastime Paradise,” the somber single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and earned Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.
• The rapper’s 1995 sophomore album, also titled Gangsta’s Paradise, spawned another Top 5 pop hit: “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New).”
• Coolio’s third album, 1997’s My Soul, yielded his fourth and final Top 20 hit, “C U When U Get There.”
• Although none of his subsequent albums have made much impact on the charts, Coolio has branched off into film acting, reality TV, and cooking.
Hometown
Compton
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap