Good Music on Instagram: "“Gangsta’s Paradise” was released in 1995 and became one of the defining hip-hop songs of the decade. It’s built around a haunting sample of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” and mixes rap with soulful singing — something that made it stand out at the time. The song’s lyrics reflect on life in poverty, crime, and the struggles of trying to do better in a harsh world. Performances like the one in this video — with just live instruments and vocals — show how much emotion

The Urban Herald on Instagram: "Coolio's 1995 performance of "Gangsta's Paradise" on Late Night With Conan O'Brien captures one of hip-hop's most unexpected success stories. The track, which became a defining anthem of 90s rap, achieved something remarkable: it created the ultimate gangster narrative without using a single profanity. This wasn't an artistic choice from the start but rather a condition set by Stevie Wonder, whose 1976 classic "Pastime Paradise" provided the foundation for Coolio'