Before his biggest hit happened in 1995, Coolio wasn’t even aware of the particular song that gave it its connect.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” tested the Stevie Wonder 1976 single, “Pastime Paradise. ” The rapper died Wednesday at the age of 59 , the same day Wonder’s music and his Grammy-winning photo album, “Songs in the Key of Life” debuted 46 years back.
Coolio explained just how their collaboration came about in an interview along with Rolling Stone in 2015.
“I wasn’t really familiar with ‘Pastime Paradise, ’ because a Stevie Wonder fan as I has been. My very first album I ever purchased was the one with ‘Superwoman’ on it, ” this individual told the syndication . “[1972’s ‘Music of My Mind.’] I got that for my twelfth birthday, that one and ‘Fight the Power’ by the Isley Siblings. ‘Songs in the Key of Life, ’ my mother experienced that album in the house, so it has been kind of weird that I didn’t know the music. ”
“Gangsta’s Paradise” was a part of the soundtrack to film “Dangerous Minds, ” which usually starred Michelle Pfeiffer. It topped the charts and earned the 1996 Grammy Award for best rap performance.
Doug Rasheed, the song’s maker, explained to Rolling Stone how the Wonder track ended up being the foundation for the song.
“One day, I picked up the Stevie Question record, ‘Songs in the Key of Life, ’ because that’s one of my favorite albums, ” Rasheed stated. “I pulled that will sample out of ‘Pastime Paradise, ’ and Paul was like, “Wow, that’s tight! ” So I decided to example it and create a beat with it. L. V. [who sang on the Coolio hit] was looking to get a deal during those times, so I was like, ‘Let’s do it on D. V.! ’”
Coolio said Wonder was less than willing to let his song be applied.
“When Stevie heard it, he was like, ‘No, no way. I am not letting the song be used in certain gangster song, ’” Coolio said. “So that was a problem. ”
In stepped Coolio’s wife, who knew Wonder’s brother. The superstar singer requested that the lyrics that will contained profanity be changed.
“Unbeknownst in my experience, the other condition was that he wanted ninety five percent of the publishing!, ” Coolio stated. “Had I identified that, I’m not sure I would have proceeded to go ahead with that — but I don’t know, maybe I would have. [laughs”]
CNN has reached out to Stevie Question for comment.