"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio, released on August 1, 1995[3] by Tommy Boy, Warner Bros. and MCA.

who served as a co-composer and co-lyricist with Coolio and Doug Rasheed, with Wonder also being credited for the composition and lyrics.

Certified Platinum in October, the song was included on Coolio's second album, Gangsta's Paradise, in November 1995.

The song begins with a line from Psalm 23:4: "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 nothing left."

[15] Following Coolio's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother 6, it re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at No.

The song was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on February 23, 1996, indicating 3 million copies sold.

[20] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly felt it "may be the bleakest tune ever to top the pop singles chart."

He added, "With its ghostly choir and lyrics about a gun-toting 23-year-old who kneels in the streetlight wondering if he’ll live to see 24, it examines the abyss with journalistic coolness.

[24] Another Melody Maker editor, Taylor Parkes, said, "An oddly reserved, frustratingly MEAGRE moment.

"[25] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Last year, this rapper hit paydirt with a reworking of Lakeside's "Fantastic Voyage".

"[26] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, saying, "An infectious release from Grammy-nominated rapper that challenges the assumed form of the genre.

[28] Dele Fadele from NME named it Single of the Week, writing, "And what a breathtaking doleful and melancholy record 'Gangsta's Paradise' is.

[...] Stabbing strings, a keyboard drone, a massed gothic chorus of gospel voices and a beat ticking time to the bitter end, are all weaved together into this solemn theme tune".

[29] The accompanying music video for the song was directed by American film director Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her earlier role as U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson in the movie Dangerous Minds.

[8] The magazine praised its "magic moment"; "The song's climactic and heartbreaking final verse, when Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., calls out, "They say I gotta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me/ If they can't understand me, how can they reach me?

[37] There are several parodies of the song, including "Amish Paradise" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, which was released the following year, reaching number 53 on the U.S. chart.

Coolio himself said in a 2011 interview that he had since "apologized to him (Yankovic)",[38] further stating in a Rolling Stone retrospective that objecting to the parody "was probably one of the least smart things I've done over the years.

Austrian melodic death metal band Artas covered the song in 2008 on the album The Healing.

That same year, New Zealand hard rock band Like a Storm covered the song on their second studio album, Awaken the Fire.

[40] The song's chorus and bridge were prominently sampled by British singer Ella Henderson for her 2024 single "Alibi".