Coolio song Gangsta’s paradise 25 years on: How it came to be a ‘A solid gold classic’

It’s December 1995. Everywhere you turn in Australia, it seems like only one song is playing.

It begins with a haunting string sample some listeners recognise from a vintage Stevie Wonder track, layered over simple hip-hop percussion and deep bass.

After 11 seconds, there’s a clap of snare drum, and a man starts quoting a Bible verse made famous the year before by Samuel L Jackson in Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction.

If you instantly heard the next lyric, “I take a look at my life and realise there’s nuthin’ left”, then this article is for you.

Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise turns 25 this year, and its place in music history is assured.

It was believed to be the…