Gangsta's Paradise (song)
Encyclopedia
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap
song by Coolio
featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise
, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack
in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice
Pazz & Jop
critics poll.
It sample
d the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder
(1976). Wonder performed the song with Coolio and L.V. at the 1995 Billboard Awards.
The song was also listed at number 69 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time and number one biggest selling single of 1995 on U.S. Billboard. In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
. This version did not feature Coolio, and featured additional lyrics written by L.V. himself. The single did not repeat the popularity of the original with Coolio.
"Pastime Paradise", a song from his album Songs in the Key of Life
. "Gangsta's Paradise" uses the same tune, and a different orchestration
of the same backing music. Coolio changed the lyrics to be more relevant to life on the streets.
The song begins with a line from Psalm 23
:4 from the Bible: As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but then diverges with: I take a look at my life / And realize there's nothin' left. Adding to some of the religious overtones are choral vocals in the background.
Many of the lyrics are very dark and tragic and are meant to be a criticism of the violence and tragedy of the "gangsta" life. The choral lines (sung by L.V.) Tell me why are we so blind to see / That the ones we hurt are you and me offer an especially plaintive self-criticism.
This song is one of the few Coolio
tracks which does not feature profanity.
for the song was directed by Antoine Fuqua
of Propaganda Films
, and featured Michelle Pfeiffer
reprising her earlier role in Dangerous Minds
.
When Coolio won the Best Rap Video
at the MTV Video Music Awards
in 1996, he said in a press conference that Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
deserved the award for "Tha Crossroads
".
, United Kingdom
, Ireland
, France
, Germany
, Italy
, Sweden
, Austria
, Netherlands
, Norway
, Switzerland
, Australia
, and New Zealand
, making it Coolio's most successful single. Following Coolio's appearance in the UK TV show Celebrity Big Brother 2009
Gangsta's Paradise re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at #31.
In the United States, the single spent twelve weeks in the top two of the Billboard Hot 100
, of which three were spent at #1 and nine at #2, putting "Gangsta's Paradise" in joint fourth place for the most weeks spent at #2 by a single in the chart's history.
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
, which was released the following year, reaching #53 on the U.S. chart. Coolio claimed that he did not give permission for the parody, which led to disagreements between the two. Yankovic claimed that he had been told Coolio had given the go-ahead through his record label, and apologized. Because of this incident, Yankovic now only does parodies by artists that he has spoken with directly, rather than through intermediaries. Photos from the XM Satellite Radio
booth at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show
suggest Yankovic and Coolio may have made amends.
The Christian rock
band ApologetiX
also did a parody called "Shepherd's Paradise" based on Psalm 23.
Another parody by Paul Shanklin
using Gangsta's Paradise is "Algore Paradise," in which Shanklin sings in the voices of Al Gore
and Bill Clinton
. The Choral Line as sung by Shanklin (as Clinton) goes, Tell me why is it / so hard to see / If he's really a man, or just a tree.
Death metal
parody-group Ten Masked Men
have also done a rendition of the song.
The former boy band
Blue
used a sample of the instrumental for their single "Curtain Falls".
Metalcore
band In Fear and Faith
covered this song as well, as well as Death/Thrash band Artas.
The song also appeared in an episode of Ross Kemp on Gangs
Dr. Doug Beach has also recorded a music video for his own surreal parody, titled Grapester Paradise.
Sturman George Russian band ("Штурман Жорж") used a sample of the instrumental for their single "Ausweis
" ("Аусвайс").
American Idol
season 8
winner Kris Allen
did a mash up of this song and Heartless
by Kanye West
during tour.
Turkish alternative rock & hip hop band MaNga (band) also covered the original version of the song (in English).
DJ DOC
, a Korean group, did a Korean version of the song, although some of the lyrics have been modified.
Kina Grannis
, an american singer-song writer, has made a cover of this song.
Still I Rise(album) uses the same sample for Death Row remix of the song.
Grammy Awards
MTV
CD single bonus tracks
CD maxi
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
song by Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise is the second album by rapper Coolio, released on November 21, 1995. The album contained three hits: "Gangsta's Paradise", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, "1, 2, 3, 4 ", which reached #5, and "Too Hot," which peaked at #24.-Track listing:-Samples and...
, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack
Dangerous Minds (soundtrack)
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Chart procession and succession:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*composing – Berry Gordy, Jr., Frank Hudson, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards...
in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critics poll.
It sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
d the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
(1976). Wonder performed the song with Coolio and L.V. at the 1995 Billboard Awards.
The song was also listed at number 69 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All-Time and number one biggest selling single of 1995 on U.S. Billboard. In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Background and writing
L.V. released a solo version of the single in 1996 on his debut album, I Am L.V.I Am L.V.
I Am L.V. is the debut album from the West Coast artist L.V..- Track listing :# "Throw Your Hands Up" # "The "G" Within"# "The Wrong Come Up" # "Take a Ride"...
. This version did not feature Coolio, and featured additional lyrics written by L.V. himself. The single did not repeat the popularity of the original with Coolio.
Lyrics and music
The music is a reworking of Stevie Wonder'sStevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
"Pastime Paradise", a song from his album Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life is the 13th album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and...
. "Gangsta's Paradise" uses the same tune, and a different orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
of the same backing music. Coolio changed the lyrics to be more relevant to life on the streets.
The song begins with a line from Psalm 23
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
:4 from the Bible: As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but then diverges with: I take a look at my life / And realize there's nothin' left. Adding to some of the religious overtones are choral vocals in the background.
Many of the lyrics are very dark and tragic and are meant to be a criticism of the violence and tragedy of the "gangsta" life. The choral lines (sung by L.V.) Tell me why are we so blind to see / That the ones we hurt are you and me offer an especially plaintive self-criticism.
This song is one of the few Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
tracks which does not feature profanity.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua is an American film director. He directed the film Training Day as well as Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter and Brooklyn's Finest...
of Propaganda Films
Propaganda Films
Propaganda Films was a prolific and successful music video and film production company founded in 1983 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Greg Gold and Dominic Sena...
, and featured Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
reprising her earlier role in Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds is an American drama film based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, where most of her students were African-American and Hispanic teenagers from East...
.
When Coolio won the Best Rap Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like it did with other genre awards...
at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in 1996, he said in a press conference that Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
deserved the award for "Tha Crossroads
Tha Crossroads
"Tha Crossroads" is a Grammy Award–winning song performed by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, dedicated to the late rap icon Eazy-E and released in 1996...
".
Chart performances
The single reached number one in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, making it Coolio's most successful single. Following Coolio's appearance in the UK TV show Celebrity Big Brother 2009
Celebrity Big Brother 2009 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2009 was the sixth series of Celebrity Big Brother. It began on 2 January 2009 and ran for 22 days until 23 January 2009. It was broadcast on Channel 4. The launch show was watched by approximately 6.4 million people...
Gangsta's Paradise re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at #31.
In the United States, the single spent twelve weeks in the top two of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, of which three were spent at #1 and nine at #2, putting "Gangsta's Paradise" in joint fourth place for the most weeks spent at #2 by a single in the chart's history.
Parodies/Covers
There are several parodies of the song, including "Amish ParadiseAmish Paradise
"Amish Paradise" is a 1996 single by parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the hip hop song "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio featuring L.V....
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, which was released the following year, reaching #53 on the U.S. chart. Coolio claimed that he did not give permission for the parody, which led to disagreements between the two. Yankovic claimed that he had been told Coolio had given the go-ahead through his record label, and apologized. Because of this incident, Yankovic now only does parodies by artists that he has spoken with directly, rather than through intermediaries. Photos from the XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
booth at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
suggest Yankovic and Coolio may have made amends.
The Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band ApologetiX
ApologetiX
ApologetiX is a Christian parody band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The band was founded in 1992, and since then, has played in 44 states, released 17 studio albums, and built up a fan club that includes 45,000 people. The band is currently composed of J...
also did a parody called "Shepherd's Paradise" based on Psalm 23.
Another parody by Paul Shanklin
Paul Shanklin
Paul Shanklin is an American conservative political satirist, impressionist, comedian, and conservative speaker...
using Gangsta's Paradise is "Algore Paradise," in which Shanklin sings in the voices of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. The Choral Line as sung by Shanklin (as Clinton) goes, Tell me why is it / so hard to see / If he's really a man, or just a tree.
Death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
parody-group Ten Masked Men
Ten Masked Men
Ten Masked Men is a British death metal cover band who specialize in covering pop songs. The band was formed in 1996 when Mark and Dave Hutson did a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" to annoy a friend. The song was much the same as the original, except it was played with distorted guitars and death...
have also done a rendition of the song.
The former boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Blue
Blue (boy band)
Blue are an English pop vocal group, whose members are Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James and Antony Costa. Blue originally formed in 2001 before splitting in 2005. In 2009, it was confirmed that the band would reform. In April 2009, the group reunited and a Best of Blue Tour was announced...
used a sample of the instrumental for their single "Curtain Falls".
Metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band In Fear and Faith
In Fear and Faith
In Fear and Faith is an American rock band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2006, the group is currently signed to Rise Records and have released two studio albums and two EPs. Their debut full-length, Your World on Fire, being released nearly a year after the band's signing to Rise in 2008,...
covered this song as well, as well as Death/Thrash band Artas.
The song also appeared in an episode of Ross Kemp on Gangs
Ross Kemp on Gangs
Ross Kemp on Gangs is a BAFTA award-winning documentary series shown on Sky1 and later repeated on Sky3. On 20 May 2007 the series won a BAFTA award for best factual series...
Dr. Doug Beach has also recorded a music video for his own surreal parody, titled Grapester Paradise.
Sturman George Russian band ("Штурман Жорж") used a sample of the instrumental for their single "Ausweis
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
" ("Аусвайс").
American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season 8
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
winner Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
did a mash up of this song and Heartless
Heartless (Kanye West song)
"Heartless" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released on November 4, 2008 digitally as the second single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. It debuted at the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100 where it eventually peaked at number two and reached number-one on the...
by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
during tour.
Turkish alternative rock & hip hop band MaNga (band) also covered the original version of the song (in English).
DJ DOC
DJ DOC
DJ DOC is a Korean hip hop group. DOC is an acronym for "Dream of Children". Popular in the late 1990s, the group has last release an album on July 29, 2010. DJ DOC will often be seen in live productions with similar music group 45RPM and hip hop duo Jinusean.-Albums:# DJ. DOC, 1994# 머피의 법칙, 1995#...
, a Korean group, did a Korean version of the song, although some of the lyrics have been modified.
Kina Grannis
Kina Grannis
Kina Kasuya Grannis is a Japanese American guitarist and singer-songwriter. She is of Japanese, English, Irish, French, and German descent....
, an american singer-song writer, has made a cover of this song.
Still I Rise(album) uses the same sample for Death Row remix of the song.
Sales records and awards
Billboard- Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers 1995
- Top Hot 100 Single number one
- Top Hot 100 Single Sales number one (2.5 million copies) (2x platinum)
Grammy Awards
- Best Rap Solo Performance
- Record of the YearRecord Of The YearRecord of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
(nominated)
MTV
- MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
1996- Best Rap VideoMTV Video Music Award for Best Rap VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like it did with other genre awards...
- Best Video from a FilmMTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a FilmThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
- Best Rap Video
Track listings
CD single- "Gangsta's Paradise" — 4:00
- "Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental) — 3:49
CD single bonus tracks
- "Gangsta's Paradise" - 4:02
- "Fantastic Voyage (Original Version)" - 4:05
- "Mama I'm In Love Wit A Gangsta (Clean Radio Mix)" - 4:09
- "Gangsta's Paradise (Instrumental)" - 3:50
CD maxi
- "Gangsta's Paradise" — 4:00
- "Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental) — 3:49
- "Fantastic Voyage" (album version) by Coolio — 4:04
Peak positions
| Chart (1995/96) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
1 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
1 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
29 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 17 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 4 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 6 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 23 |
| French Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| End of year chart (1996) | Position |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 16 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 15 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Platinum | January 8, 1996 | 30,000 |
| Germany | 2 x Platinum | 1996 | 1,000,000 |
| Netherlands | Platinum | 1995 | 60,000 |
| Norway | 4 x Platinum | 1996 | 40,000 |
| UK | Platinum | November 1, 1995 | 600,000 |
| U.S. | 3 x Platinum | February 23, 1996 | 3,000,000 |