: Producer Doug Rasheed discovered the sample—a mournful synth loop mimicking a string section—while competing with a roommate to find the best record samples.
The track was famously commissioned for the soundtrack of the film , starring Michelle Pfeiffer as an idealistic teacher in an inner-city school. Gangstas Paradise
: Decades after its release, the song reached over one billion views on YouTube and one billion streams on Spotify in 2022, shortly before Coolio's death at age 59. : Producer Doug Rasheed discovered the sample—a mournful
: L.V. recorded a gospel-tinged chorus, and Coolio, then an up-and-coming West Coast rapper, wrote the verses to fit the vibe. then an up-and-coming West Coast rapper