Coolio gangsta paradise album cover
Some observers still see rap in that old light. Just as they did in the ‘50s, teenagers eventually went for the pure goods and sought out the hard-core rappers such as Ice Cube, Ice-T and Cypress Hill. Similarly, parents in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s must have sighed with relief when Boone’s equivalents, Hammer and Vanilla Ice, became rap superstars-if only briefly. At that time, moms and dads seemed relieved to embrace Pat Boone and, later, Elvis Presley, even if they were singing the same songs. In many ways, it was a throwback to the ‘50s, when many white parents were uneasy about the rise of such raucous black musicians as Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley. Baby boomers, who in their youth had celebrated rebellion and anti-authority attitudes, were frankly scared when their teenagers began coming home with baggy pants, baseball caps turned backward and albums whose music and covers were filled with violent, terrifying themes. This music, which was also widely criticized for misogynistic tendencies, was so startling that many observers, especially parents, never saw past the nihilism. The images were shocking-tales of drive-by shootings, police hostility and the fruits of the criminal life. in Los Angeles, Boogie Down Productions in New York and the Geto Boys in Houston used music to convey the bitter alienation of street life.
Unlike the party-minded nature of the rap hits of the early and middle ‘80s, N.W.A. When gangsta rap first became part of the pop consciousness in the late-'80s through such volatile albums as N.W.A.'s “Straight Outta Compton” and Boogie Down Productions’ “Criminal Minded,” there was little room for sensitivity. That’s why people’s grandmothers can relate to it. They have no hope, and they found hope in that song. It shows you what’s on the mind of people in the world today. “I had no idea that it would be so successful. “My song is depressing as hell,” Coolio says. The melancholy “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which borrows liberally from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 composition “Pastime Paradise,” asks the question: He’s an artist who wants to focus sometimes on the sad reality of living in a gangsta’s paradise, but also wants to focus on having a good time.” He doesn’t have to tell you, ‘I’m a murderer,’ 100 times to prove that he’s tough.
“Coolio comes from the gangster’s side that’s more sensitive. “If you spit out, ‘I’ll kill anyone’ all the time, you’ll soon become a caricature, and after a while you’re not going to be creditable as an artist,” says Russell Simmons, the CEO of Def Jam Recordings and the New York businessman who helped launch rap as a commercial force. Both songs illustrate how rappers have been able to downplay profanity and use smoother beats and still get their point across in ways that don’t destroy their credibility. Other songs-from Warren G’s “Regulate” to 2Pac’s recent “California Love"-also show just how much gangsta rap has changed. In addition, 2Pac, whose “Dear Mama” is one of the most tender pop hits in years, is nominated for two Grammys: best rap album and best rap solo performance (“Dear Mama” competes against “Gangsta’s Paradise” in the latter). It will compete against more conventional mainstream fare such as Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” and the Mariah Carey duet with Boyz II Men on “One Sweet Day.” In response, the music community has started viewing rappers with increasing respect-a point that will be underscored at Wednesday’s Grammy Awards ceremony.Ĭoolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” the key track on the smash “Dangerous Minds” soundtrack album, is the first hard-core rap single ever nominated for record of the year. Several of the most successful rap singles of recent years have begun to demonstrate a more sensitive side.