Although none of his subsequent albums have made much impact on the charts, Coolio has branched off into film acting, reality TV, and cooking.Coolio’s third album, 1997’s My Soul, yielded his fourth and final Top 20 hit, “C U When U Get There.”.

The rapper’s 1995 sophomore album, also titled Gangsta’s Paradise, spawned another Top 5 pop hit: “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New).”.

Built on a sample from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 classic “Pastime Paradise,” the somber single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and earned Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. He recorded the 1995 song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” featuring R&B singer LV, for the film Dangerous Minds.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the year’s biggest songs. Coolio’s solo debut album, 1994’s It Takes a Thief, features the party anthem “Fantastic Voyage.” The single peaked at No.In 1991, he joined the group WC and the Maad Circle and worked on the group’s debut LP, Ain’t a Damn Thang Changed.He recorded his first single, “Whatcha Gonna Do?” in 1987.He turned his life around by working as a volunteer firefighter in the San Jose area. The Compton native started rapping at 15 but fell victim to drugs in the ’80s.West Coast rap legend Coolio helped to define ’90s hip-hop with party jams like “Fantastic Voyage” and the more serious-minded “Gangsta’s Paradise.”

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