12 Songs You Didn’t Know Were Sampled
6. Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise' Sampled 'Pastime Paradise' By Stevie Wonder
Although only consisting of 5 C notes, 2 Bs and 1 G, the tune that open the iconic intro tune to Gangsta’s Paradise is instantly recognisable to many.
However, what many people don’t know is that this riff did not originate with Coolio, who not only sampled the bible in his opening line, but took the tune as well as some of the lyrics from Pastime paradise. Swapping...
“They've been spending most their lives, living in a pastime paradise”
To...
“Been spendin' most their lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise”
Wonder only gave his permission to use the sample if the song contained no profanity, causing the original lyrics to be changed, creating one of a very small number of Coolio songs that contain no harsh language.