Gangsta's Paradise [PA] (CD - 1995)

Personnel: Coolio, Talkbox, Malika, E-40, Kam, 40 Thevz, Rated R, Jeremy Monroe, Leek Ratt, PS, Ras Kass, WC, Shorty, PS, Capucine Jackson (vocals); Romeo, Jammin' James (various instruments); Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones (guitar, bass); Chris Fletcher, Darryl Crookes, Eric "Funkyworm" Park, Brian James (guitar); "Roy Dog" Pennon (keyboards, bass); Chris Hamabe, Devon Davis (keyboards, programming); Frank "Spade" Cannon (keyboards); Charles "Charlie Macc" Anderson, Andrew Gouche (bass); L.V., Trinna Simmons, J.T. Taylor, Shaunna D., Baby G., Lashanna Dendy, Will Wheaton (background vocals).

Producers include: Coolio, Christopher Hamabe, Devon Davis, Doug Rasheed, Brian "The Wino" Dobbs.

Engineers: Bob Morse, Mark Nathan, Patrick MacDougall.

Recorded at Echo Sounds, Los Angeles, California and Studio 56, Hollywood, California.

The single "Gangsta's Paradise" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The single was also nominated for Record Of The Year.

"Sumpin' New" was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, and GANGSTA'S PARADISE was nominated for a 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Personnel: Coolio, Malika, E-40, Kam, 40 Thevz, Rated R, Jeremy Monroe, Leek Ratt, PS, Ras Kass, WC, Shorty (vocals); Romeo, Jammin' James (various instruments); Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones (guitar, bass); Chris Fletcher, Darryl Crookes, Eric "Funkyworm" Park, Brian James (guitar); "Roy Dog" Pennon (keyboards, bass); Chris Hamabe, Devon Davis (keyboards, programming); Frank "Spade" Cannon (keyboards); Charles "Charlie Macc" Anderson, Andrew Gouche (bass); L.V., Trinna Simmons, J.T. Taylor, Shaunna D., Baby G., Lashanna Dendy, Will Wheaton (background vocals).

Producers include: Christopher Hamabe, Devon Davis, Doug Rasheed, Brian "The Wino" Dobbs, Jay "Jay Supreme" Williams.

Engineers: Bob Morse, Mark Nathan, Patrick MacDougall.

Recorded at Echo Sounds, Los Angeles, California and Studio 56, Hollywood, California.

The single "Gangsta's Paradise" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The single was also nominated for Record Of The Year.

"Sumpin' New" was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, and GANGSTA'S PARADISE was nominated for a 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Most of Coolio's hit debut It Takes a Thief was fairly upbeat material, but the appearance of the stark single "Gangsta's Paradise" in the summer of 1995 signaled a change in the rapper's music. Driven by an ominously deep bassline and slashing strings, the creeping, threatening funk of "Gangsta's Paradise" was the most chilling thing Coolio had recorded to date, but the menace didn't come at the expense of his considerable talent for immediate, catchy hooks. Consequently, the single shot to the top of the charts and hovered in the Top Ten for many weeks. The album followed shortly afterwards, and it didn't fail to deliver on the promise of the single. Not only did Coolio expand his sound, but his songwriting skills improved, as Gangsta's Paradise has very few weak moments. Alternating between slow, funky grooves and elastic, party-ready anthems, Gangsta's Paradise is proof that Coolio is one of the most exciting and interesting hip-hop artists of the mid-'90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

"Be it wrong or right...these are the geto highlites." In that one line lies the genius of Coolio (even if he can't spell "ghetto"). From this disc's first track--a short dialogue that sums up both the violent, inexorable sameness and the strange attraction of ghetto life--to the Grammy-winning title track, Coolio and his crew take an unflinching look at life on the streets of America. The music--sampled from, and made possible by, the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Evasions and Kool And The Gang--stays compelling throughout. Despite his hard-edged stance, Coolio shows a decided preference for summertime cruising grooves, the kind that make you wanna put your arm up on a hot aluminum door strip and watch the underworld go by. minimize