Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for "Gangsta's Paradise," the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film "Dangerous Minds" that sampled Stevie Wonder's 1976 song ...

combined with Coolio's distinctive, confessional storytelling, made it an instant classic. It was the first "serious" rap song to top the UK and US charts, opening the door for acts like 2Pac and ...

Over the coming years, Coolio's trademark humorous, reflective rap style gained even more popularity and in 1996 he won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance for the song "Gangsta's paradise." ...