In 1987, Coolio released his debut single, Whatcha Gonna Do? In 1988, he collaborated with Nu-Skool to produce “What Makes You Dance (Force Groove).” In 1991, Coolio joined the WC and the Maad Circle group, which rapper WC led, thanks to connections he developed in the L.A. rap scene. On the group’s debut album Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed, he is listed as a co-contributor and appears on the song “Dress Code.”
It Takes a Thief, Coolio’s first solo album, was released in 1994 after he signed with Tommy Boy Records. Fantastic Voyage, the album’s lead track, was heavily played on MTV and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. One of the top rap hits of the year was Fantastic Voyage. are two other album tracks that didn’t exactly break out.
The Platinum-certified It Takes a Thief reached its highest point at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The album gained attention for giving average gangsta rap’s violent and obscene themes a comedic and cheerful viewpoint.
For the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, Coolio released “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which featured R&B artist L.V. It rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, becoming one of the most popular rap songs of all time. It topped the international chart and was the No. 1 single across all genres in the United States in 1995.
In the UK, “Gangsta’s Paradise” finished 1995 as the second-best-selling song. The song also caused a stir when comedian “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise,” a spoof of the song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” was released, according to Coolio. The song brought Coolio a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Read More
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
R
