There are a lot of songs out there, but only a few are
imprinted in our minds. For me, the song Gangster’s Paradise is one of them.
Let me explain why.
Gangster’s Paradise is rap a song by Coolio featuring L.V. for the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds. This movie is based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine Lou Anne Johnson. The film is about a troubled school and the challenges faced by the students and the idealistic teacher. Coolio wrote the lyrics of the song to express the feelings of despair and abandonment felt by the kids at the school. This song won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Gangster’s Paradise is rap a song by Coolio featuring L.V. for the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds. This movie is based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine Lou Anne Johnson. The film is about a troubled school and the challenges faced by the students and the idealistic teacher. Coolio wrote the lyrics of the song to express the feelings of despair and abandonment felt by the kids at the school. This song won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
“As I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death”, this is the opening line of the
song. This caught my attention because it is a line from Psalm 23:4. However,
the next line was changed to “I take a look at my life and realize there’s
nothing left” instead of “I will fear no
evil: for thou art with me.” These lines made me think about the significance
of life. As I continued to listen to the lyrics, I realized that this is song
is about the life of a gangster. It talks about how he tries to survive amidst
the violence that he has grown accustomed to. It also talks about the
importance of education for him. However, nobody is there to teach him according
to the lyrics. So, he has no other choice but to continue living in a
“gangster’s paradise”.
This song left a deep impact on me. I couldn’t imagine myself living in a “gangster’s paradise”. In my naïve state of mind at that time, I never thought there are people actually living in that kind of situation. This made me thankful about the situation I’m in, and it also inspired me not to waste the education that I have. The people in the “hood” also want a better life. They want to be educated too, however it’s not that easy for them because of their background.
If this song got your interest too, you can check out the youtube video above. You can also watch the movie Dangerous Minds to have a better understanding of the song’s meaning.
This song left a deep impact on me. I couldn’t imagine myself living in a “gangster’s paradise”. In my naïve state of mind at that time, I never thought there are people actually living in that kind of situation. This made me thankful about the situation I’m in, and it also inspired me not to waste the education that I have. The people in the “hood” also want a better life. They want to be educated too, however it’s not that easy for them because of their background.
If this song got your interest too, you can check out the youtube video above. You can also watch the movie Dangerous Minds to have a better understanding of the song’s meaning.
Jamille G. Almacen is a Class TA in GEO 28. You can check her profile here.
