Gangsta's Paradise (album)
| Gangsta's Paradise | ||||
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| Studio album by Coolio | ||||
| Released | November 21, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–1995; Echo Sounds, Los Angeles, California and Studio 56, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | West Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap, G-funk | |||
| Length | 64:25 | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy, Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer |
Coolio, Christopher Hamabe, Devon Davis, Doug Rasheed, Bryan "The Wino" Dobbs |
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| Coolio chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Gangsta's Paradise | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | A− |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Spin | 8/10 |
| NME | 7/10 |
| The Source |  |
Gangsta's Paradise is the second studio album by rapper Coolio, released on November 21, 1995. It is Coolio's best-selling album, with over three million copies sold in the United States. The album produced three singles, which became hits: the title track (which was first used in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, released before Coolio's album), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)", and "Too Hot".
Three songs were released as singles. "Gangsta's Paradise" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" reached number 5, and "Too Hot" peaked at number 24.
The album was nominated for a 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Album. The song "Gangsta's Paradise" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. "Sumpin' New" was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Spin gave the album 8 out of 10, and said, "Today's rappers aren't interested in sharing any knowledge with outsiders. Coolio is the great exception... the most stylistically broad mainstream rap album you'll probably hear all year. Even upon first listen, it sounds like a collection of hits."
Entertainment Weekly ranked the album #4 on EW's Top 10 Albums of 1995, and said, "The level-headed street philosopher, preaching respect for black women, fatherly responsibility, and safe sex... continuing in the great tradition of Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder... Coolio and his crew make the ghetto seem not just a place of desolation, but of hope."
The Source gave the album 4 Mics out of 5, and said, "The crazy braided one brings skilled and insightful lyrics that reach and relate to all levels of the Black experience... sets standards that corny lyrics and catchy loops can't compete with... Few artists can straddle the line between commercial and underground hip-hop."
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Wikipedia