At the 1996 Grammy Awards, the song won Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic had not asked for permission to make his parody of "Gangsta's Paradise", titled " Amish Paradise". "Gangsta's Paradise" was the second-best-selling single of 1995 in the UK. 1 single of 1995 in the United States for all genres, and was a global hit topping the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand chart. It would become one of the most successful rap songs of all time, topping on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. In 1995, Coolio released " Gangsta's Paradise", featuring R&B singer L.V., for the film Dangerous Minds. The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap. 8 on the Billboard 200, becoming certified Platinum. "Fantastic Voyage" would become one of the biggest rap singles of the year, and the album contained a few other minor hits in "County Line" and "I Remember".
The lead single " Fantastic Voyage" received heavy rotation on MTV, and peaked at No. In 1994, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut solo album It Takes a Thief. He was a co-contributor on the group's debut album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, including on the single "Dress Code". rap scene, and in 1991, ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle, led by rapper WC. He also recorded "What Makes You Dance (Force Groove)" with Nu-Skool in 1988. He recorded his first single in 1987, titled "Whatcha Gonna Do?". After attending Compton Community College, he worked in jobs such as volunteer firefighting and security at the Los Angeles International Airport, before becoming a rapper.