Gangsta’s Paradise

Will Jellicorse Samantha Holt English hundred and unriv each(prenominal)ed 1 October 2011 The Definition of promised land One persons utopian world may non always be the verbalise(prenominal) as their neighbors. What one person may deem a paradise may healthy be a slum for others. Depending on the time and location of the speaker, their nonesuch(prenominal) lifestyle may be a reality, or simply a dream of one. both(prenominal) Stevie investigate, and Coolio harmonyally interpret their societies idea of paradise. Both Coolios and querys lines gloomily dis vivify their views on society. Through the discrepancy in context of each writers life, these two interpretations of the same shout atomic number 18 very distinguishable in meaning.Both songs identify the make out of life as being instantly related to the evils of the world such as money and power. Stevie call into questions Pastime heaven reflects on the racial inequalities that the States has struggled with fo r decades. The song too describes the hope for a future world trim from discrimination. Coolios Gangstas paradise represents the hard lived lives of campsters in inner cities. The song as well alludes to their dream of one day living in quiescence. Wonders Pastime Paradise reflection on discrimination amidst races was greatly altered by Coolios Gangstas Paradise. Coolios description of struggles between gangs was still similar in theme, but very different in meaning. Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan ( marquis Whos Who LLC. ). The invention Stevie Wonder has been known by the States as an R&B icon since his early 1963 release of 12 Year Old star topology. Since his start in the music industry, Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards (Africa bran-news), was inducted into the gemstone and Roll dormitory of Fame in 1989 (Puterbaugh), and has been recently awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for favourite Song by President Obama (Africa News).Th roughout his c beer, Wonder has created many songs in which he addresses certain subjects in order to bring change. Wonder once said I am not a politician. I am an artist. I do express certain feelings about certain things. Even if I give a song that deals with a negative subject, its only structural criticism to encourage our minds to look and go in a positivistic direction (Trescott). When Wonder released his 1976 off song Pastime Paradise, America had only been integrated for 22 years. In America during 1976, most blacks were not treated equally.Wonders lifetime experiences with race relations directly influenced his record book choice in Pastime Paradise. In his music, Wonder ordinarily plays songs with his signature style of being weirdly mellow, and forcibly upbeat (Mazmanian). just now in Pastime Paradise, Wonder strongly reveals his concerns with how African Americans are treated. He does this by giving the song a gloomy, depressing style. Wonder best demonstrates his concerns with racial inequality by using powerful address such as segregation, race relations, mutations, and miscreation.When Wonder references those living in a pastime paradise, he is maybe alluding to how Americans are so fixated with the past. Another interpretation of Wonders song is that he is alluding to African Americans wanting to be back in Africa with their ancestors. many an(prenominal) African Americans have been trying to earn equality ever since slaveholding was abolished. Wonder is no exception to this. Through a combination of protest, song, and persist of fellow blacks, Wonder demonstrates his support for equality in America.It is apparent in the foster half of the song that Wonder dreams of the integration of man. In the second half of the song, Wonder describes a future paradise in which at that place is no such thing as inequality between different races. He uses words such as consolation, integration, and assay to paint a picture of a world in which al l people can live together in unity. Through his believability of being a pop icon, Wonder hoped that people would hear his song and want to end any racial inequalities still present in America.Wonder may not just be one of the biggest R&B musicians ever, but he is as well as very governmentally conscientious. Wonder eventide went as far as being an activist against oppression when he was arrested along with a group of anti-apartheid demonstrators outside of the South African Embassy (AP). Whether directly or indirectly stated, Wonder tends to place his political views in his lyrics. In Pastime Paradise, Wonder expresses his support of African American rights through with(predicate) the line Proclamation of Race Relations.Wonder strongly supports the idea of a peaceful, unified America. Wonder supported Martin Luther Kings beliefs of an integrated world so oftentimes that he helped persuade President Reagan to make Martin Luther Kings birthday a matter holiday (Egan). Althoug h most of Wonders words are inspiring, just about of his lyrics were not always politically supportive. In about cases, Wonder criticized the political leaders of America. President Nixon was a accompaniment American leader that Wonder did not trust. Wonder released two songs in which he bashed Nixons credibility.Wonders 1973 Hes Misstra Know-It-All, and his 1974 You Havent make Nothin both presented Wonders ill faith in the American government. Wonder uses music to make others aware of problems in American society and to evoke a change in society similarly, rap artist Coolio uses the lyrics in his 1995 hit song Gangstas Paradise to make his audience aware of problems in his community. Through his remix of Wonders original, Coolio uses the inspiration from the struggles that Wonder faced to correlate his own personal struggles with gang life.Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , also known as Coolio was born on August 1, 1963 in the South Central Las Angeles field of battle of Compton (Jinman ). Tommy Boy reputations Label Company released this song as a bingle for the soundtrack for the movie Dangerous Minds (Reece). The song Gangstas Paradise was insanely popular with the public. Its motion-picture show of life in the inner city could have been relatable to most turn down class people around the United States, and was adopted by some of the richer white teenagers living in the suburbs.With his release of Gangstas Paradise, Coolio portrays himself as a Gang-Banger. Coolios remix was likely so popular due(p) to his hard, thuggish take careance. If he had seemed emotionally soft, or sympathetic then his audience may not have been so inclined to believe his credibility as a gangster. Although throughout his career, Coolio has not always been portrayed as a gangster. Coolio has also appeared on the Nickelodeons All That as a tuneful guest. When he appeared on the opening credits of the show, he did not appear gangster.When he appeared on All That, Coolio most likely altered his post in order to reform suit the expectations of the young personer audience. sequence Coolio appeared as a gangster in Gangstas Paradise, he also exhibit how he could alter his persona in his appearance on All That. When Gangstas Paradise was released, the racial gang violence demonstrated in rap music was attractive to a few particular audiences. umpteen younger Americans during the 90s began to embrace rap music. Many poorer minorities living in the inner cities related to Coolios portrayal of gang life.The incident that Coolio served seven months of jail time for committing larceny at the age of 17 (Hatt, and Schnaufer), and that he had gotten addicted to crack cocaine before the age or twenty (Fulton) supports his credibility of being a gangster. Coolio at a young age joined a Compton rest homed gang called the Baby Crips (Fulton). Coolio by chance used lyrics such as being down with the hood aggroup in order to express how important it was for him to bec ome affiliated with a gang. Many richer, white Americans also adopted the context of Coolios gang life.Much like the hippie revolution of the 60s, many white American youths treasured to associate with a culture that was different from their own. This combined fan base of many richer white, and poorer minority youths gave Coolio tons of publicity. His success at being a rap artist was largely contributed to this integrated fan base. Gangstas Paradise not only won a Grammy award for best pilot rap performance of the year (McElroy), but was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic, sold over 2 million copies, and stayed on the Hot bump Singles Chart at number 1 for 10 weeks (Reece). Gangstas Paradise depicts the life of a gangster and its two possible outcomes, either demise or prison. In his song, Coolio describes himself as an enlightened fool. Being an educated fool means that he understands the consequences of living life as a gangster, but does it anyway. With this description, he ack nowledges his actions as foolish. This knowledge of what happens to gangsters is why Coolio constantly alludes to death in the lyrics of Gangstas Paradise. At the end of the song, he states, the ones we hurt, are you and me.In these lines, Coolio expresses his idea that gang members not only hurt others, but also hurt themselves. By using such emotional lyrics, Coolio suggests that gang members must(prenominal) alter their lifestyle in order to have a better tomorrow. Stevie Wonders Pastime Paradise and Coolios Gangstas Paradise are both depressing representations of how America defines a paradise. Both songs are completely different due to their difference in context. Through Coolios life experiences with gang affiliation, he drastically changed the meaning of his remixed version of Wonders original. Pastime Paradise reflects on the evils of the world being due to prejudice, people living in the past, and how equality among race can make a better future. While Gangstas Paradise s tates how gang violence should end. It also emphasizes that there are certain factors that cause people to join gangs. Coolio demonstrates how racism and poverty at bottom the community both contribute to people becoming gang affiliated. Both Coolios and Wonders songs emotionally portray how America has fought for peace and equality throughout the decades.Coolio and Wonder preformed together in 1996 at the hoarding Music Awards, where they used lines from both Pastime Paradise and Gangstas Paradise (Wonder). Wonder and Coolio showed that when they played the two versions together, their songs emotional appeal to the audience was greatly enhanced. Number of Words 1663 Works Cited Crawford, Selwyn. Arrests weaken infamous gang, police say. Dallas dayspring News 21 11 2010. n. pag. LexisNexis. 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