Coolio died on the anniversary of the Stevie Wonder song that made 'Gangsta's Paradise'

Before his biggest deed happened successful 1995, Coolio wasn’t adjacent alert of the opus that gave it its hook.

“Gangsta’s Paradise” sampled the Stevie Wonder 1976 single, “Pastime Paradise.” The rapper died Wednesday astatine the property of 59, the aforesaid time Wonder’s opus and his Grammy-winning album, “Songs successful the Key of Life” debuted 46 years ago.

Coolio explained however their collaboration came astir successful an interrogation with Rolling Stone successful 2015.

“I wasn’t truly acquainted with ‘Pastime Paradise,’ arsenic overmuch of a Stevie Wonder instrumentality arsenic I was. My precise archetypal medium I ever bought was the 1 with ‘Superwoman’ connected it,” he told the publication. “[1972’s ‘Music of My Mind.’] I got that for my 12th birthday, that 1 and ‘Fight the Power’ by the Isley Brothers. ‘Songs successful the Key of Life,’ my parent had that medium astatine the house, truthful it was benignant of weird that I didn’t cognize the song.”

“Gangsta’s Paradise” was a portion of the soundtrack to movie “Dangerous Minds,” which starred Michelle Pfeiffer. It topped the charts and won the 1996 Grammy Award for champion rap performance.

Doug Rasheed, the song’s producer, explained to Rolling Stone however the Wonder way ended up being the ground for the song.

“One day, I pulled retired the Stevie Wonder record, ‘Songs successful the Key of Life,’ due to the fact that that’s 1 of my favourite albums,” Rasheed said. “I pulled that illustration retired of ‘Pastime Paradise,’ and Paul was like, “Wow, that’s tight!” So I decided to illustration it and marque a bushed with it. L.V. [who sang connected the Coolio hit] was trying to get a woody astatine that time, truthful I was like, ‘Let’s bash it connected L.V.!’”

Coolio said Wonder was initially little than consenting to fto his opus beryllium used.

“When Stevie heard it, helium was like, ‘No, nary way. I’m not letting my opus beryllium utilized successful immoderate gangster song,’” Coolio said. “So that was a problem.”

In stepped Coolio’s wife, who knew Wonder’s brother. The superstar vocalist asked that the lyrics that contained profanity beryllium changed.

“Unbeknownst to me, the different information was that helium wanted 95 percent of the publishing!,” Coolio said. “Had I known that, I’m not definite I would person went up with that — but I don’t know, possibly I would have. [laughs”]

CNN has reached retired to Stevie Wonder for comment.