Music and Lyrics 003: Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio Featuring L.V.

If there would be someone whose gonna ask me what’s the best American Rap song for me, it would be Gangsta’s Paradise, as young Teenager I grew up listening this great hit from Coolio.

If we’re gonna talk about my high school life, it won’t be complete unless we won’t tackle about Coolio Featuring L.V. - Gangsta Paradise, because it’s one of my favorite Rap Song. For me the songs is pointing to everyone of us in the society, it speak about how young genre was raise by a strip and went to brother hood of gangster. It point to our face and telling us that indeed there are serious problem in street.

When I first heard about this song I was so amazed and at the same time afraid because the song sounds like it really has a soul of its own, it gives me the perception that in real scenario in real world only the toughest guy survive.

Every time I heard this song I remember my niece, we’re almost at the same age, after we played table tennis we go home to our house, we are walking in the street when I started to rap the song, I am all sweat in sleeveless M.J. Jersey while singing the song and My niece was the one who sing’s the chorus part.

I also remember watching the substitute teacher’s Michelle Pfieffer’s movie “Dangerous Mind”, it was a big surprise hit in the summer of 1995, leading to the creation of a shirt-live television series of the same title, it was based on the autobiography “My Posse Don’t Do Homework” by the former U.S Marine Lou Anne Johnson.

I also remember my hommies called D’Rap Templa, every day after school we hangout in one of my hommies house just to listened to different rap music starting from eheem of course 2pac, after that we will go to Zambonga’s version of Baywalk called The Boulevard of the broken dreames to eat Balot.

I have lots of stories behind this iconic rap song; it really signifies my personality, a black sheep and misunderstood by his family trying to fit in.

Just recently, I heard this song again when I watched the 2011 movie “Green Hornet”, it was the part where The Green Hornet and Kato driving their car called Black Beauty, they played this song.

So here it is. 

Coolio Featuring L.V. - Gangsta's Paradise

 (Spoken part: Michelle Pfieffer)

You want to tell me what this is all about?

(Rap start here.)

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize there’s nuttin left
Cause I’ve been blastin’ and laughin so long that
Even my ma’ma thinks that my mind is gone
But I ain’t never crossed a man that didn’t deserve it
Me, be treated like a punk, you know that’s unheard of
You better watch how you talkin, and where you walkin
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip, but I gotta loc’
As they croak I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
I’m the kinda G the little homies wanna be like
On my knees in the night
Sayin prayers in the street light

We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise

Look at the situation, they got me facing
I can’t live a normal life, I was raised by the strip
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watchin’ got me chasin’ dreams
I’m a educated fool with money on my mind
Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I’m a loc’ed out gangsta, set-trippin banger
And my homies is down, so don’t arouse my anger, fool
Death ain’t nuthin but a heart beat away
I’m livin life do-or-die-a, what can I say?
I’m twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-fow’?
The way things is goin’ I don’t know

Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the ones we hurt, are you and me

We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise

Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody’s runnin, but half of them ain’t lookin
What’s goin on in the kitchen, but I dont know what’s cookin
They say I got ta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me,
If they cant understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can’t; I guess they won’t
I guess they front;
that’s why I know my life is outta luck, fool!

We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We been spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise
We keep spending most our lives
Living in a Gangsta’s Paradise

Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the ones we hurt, are you and me
Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the ones we hurt, are you and me.

Thank you for listening.

D”N