Although it contained the major hit " C U When U Get There" and the album went platinum, it failed to reach the success of his previous two albums. His third solo album titled My Soul, came out in 1997.
COOLIO GANGSTA PARADISE LIVE AWARDS SERIES
That same year, he recorded the theme song and appeared in the opening sequence of the Nickelodeon TV series Kenan & Kel which ran for four seasons.Īfter the success of Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio's next album was expected to be another hit. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine. In 1996, Coolio appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip-hop artists. Red Hot Organization and Tommy Boy Records dismissal
COOLIO GANGSTA PARADISE LIVE AWARDS MOVIE
In 2019, the song revived new popularity on the Internet when it was featured in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer. In 2014, the band Falling in Reverse did a cover of "Gangsta's Paradise" for "Punk Goes 90's", with Coolio making a cameo in the music video. He was also featured on the song "Hit 'em High" from the soundtrack to the successful 1997 film Space Jam with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes. In 1996, Coolio had another top 40 hit with the song "It's All the Way Live (Now)" from the soundtrack to the movie Eddie. Despite no longer being an official member of the group, Coolio made an appearance on the second WC and the Maad Circle album Curb Servin', on the song "In a Twist".
Taylor of Kool & the Gang doing the chorus. The album contained two other major hits in " 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot" with J.T.
The album Gangsta's Paradise was released in 1995 and was certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA. The title track sampled the chorus and music of the song " Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder, which was recorded nearly twenty years earlier on Stevie Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life. Originally "Gangsta's Paradise" was not meant to be included on one of Coolio's studio albums, but it's success led to Coolio not only putting it on his next album but also making it the title track. At the 1996 Grammy Awards, the song won Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic had not asked for permission to make his parody of "Gangsta's Paradise", titled " Amish Paradise". Gangsta's Paradise was the second-best selling single of 1995 in the UK. 1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand. 1 single of 1995 in the United States for all genres, and was a global hit reaching No. It would become one of the most successful rap songs of all time, reaching No. In 1995, Coolio made a song featuring R&B singer LV for the movie Dangerous Minds, titled " Gangsta's Paradise". The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap. 8 on the Billboard 200, becoming certified Platinum. "Fantastic Voyage" would become one of the biggest rap singles of the year, and the album contained a few other minor hits in "County Line" and "I Remember". The lead single " Fantastic Voyage" received heavy rotation on MTV, and peaked at No. In 1994, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut solo album It Takes a Thief. He was a co-contributor on the group's debut album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, including on the single "Dress Code". rap scene, and in 1991, ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle, led by rapper WC. He also recorded "What Makes You Dance (Force Groove)" with Nu-Skool in 1988. He recorded his first single in 1987, titled "Whatcha Gonna Do?". Ivey originally rose to fame as a member of the Gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle alongside WC and his brother, Crazy Toones. Coolio has since gone on to release albums independently and has also become a chef, creating a web series titled Cookin' with Coolio and releasing a cookbook. He was also known for rapping the theme song for the mid-to-late 1990s Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel.