In a new episode of Vevo Footnotes, producer Doug Rasheed gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” one of the most iconic rap songs of the ‘90s. The episode celebrates the song’s 30th anniversary, originally released on August 1, 1995.
In the episode, Rasheed explains how he first met Coolio while working security, and how he connected with Coolio’s manager Paul Stewart. He recalls how the producers used to compete to see who could pull the best samples for tracks. Rasheed also shares the early challenge they faced when Stevie Wonder initially refused to clear the “Pastime Paradise” sample because of the language and content in the song. Coolio rewrote some of the lyrics and with Stewart’s help, the sample was eventually cleared.
The episode also covers how the music video, directed by Antoine Fuqua, came together using footage from the film Dangerous Minds, where the song first appeared. Rasheed shares that the version of the song in the movie sounded different from the radio version, which had a more prominent drum track and included string overdubs in the final mix. He also discusses how the massive success of “Gangsta’s Paradise” and Coolio’s record deal led to tension between him, Coolio, and Stewart. Although their relationship was strained for a time, they were able to reconcile before Coolio’s death on September 28, 2022.
