B-art said:
Well, I was gonna make a thread about this but I might as well post it here..
(warning, EXTREMELY long for something so futile)
It's been rumoured that Pac was a ghostwriter for Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise. Now I don't think the rumours were really based on anything else than that the style of the verses kinda resembles Pac's style. Also, a while back, I think I read on this board that Coolio was asked about this in an interview and that he denied it. He said he wrote it himself (perhaps I'm making this up, but I coulda sworn I read something of this nature). If he did, we, of course, should assume he is talking the truth. Anyway, I always thought somebody just made it up 'cause they wanted it to be true or something..
I'm usually not really fond of any conspiracy theories, certainly not when it comes to Pac on THIS board, lord knows lol...
However, I recently got to thinking about it again and I was going over the lyrics again and I noticed something. I'm sure others have already mentioned it on this board but I have never come across it:
In the end of the first verse, Coolio raps:
"I'm twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-fo'?
The way things are going I don't know"
Now, the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, on which Gangsta's Paradise was released, was released on July 11th, 1995 (according to Amazon.com)
Now at that moment, 2pac had been 24 for less than a month. Assuming that the song was recorded at least a month before the release of the soundtrack and not more than 13 months before the soundtrack was released, you can argue that Pac was in fact 23 at the time the song was written and recorded. Another interesting fact: a year earlier, on the song Pain, Pac rapped: “Will I live to be 23?” So that line would certainly fit his style. (the lyrics go “I’m twent-three NOW”, perhaps referring to his own question from a year before but that is too far-fetched.) That second line of course makes perfect sense if Pac wrote it since, as we all know, he was going through some hard times in that period.
Now Coolio himself, on the other hand, was born in 1963 and was 23 in '86/'87. This indicates that either Coolio didn't write the song, he was talking about his earlier life experiences or he was talking about a fictious character. But if you listen to the song and follow the lyrics ("Will I live to be 24?"), I think it's safe to say that it wasn't about his own life 9 years earlier, since it would be kinda stupid of him to wonder if he will make it to 24 when he has already made it to 32.
So then, I started thinking: if a ghostwriter wrote it for him, who could have written it for him? 2pac obviously came to mind because of the style and their connection: Coolio did Pac a favour by helping him to make a video for Temptations. Maybe Pac returned the favour by giving him the song (or vice versa). At the time the soundtrack was released Pac was in prison of course, and Pac says in the Resurrection book that he only wrote one song (When I Get Free?) but I think I've also heard him say that it was 2-3 songs. Pac says he didn't have inspiration while in jail; if you look at the last verse from GP, you'll see that it's barely a half verse (the other verses aren't 16 bars either). Maybe because Coolio wrote it and that's his style, maybe 'cause Pac wrote it while in jail and he ran out of inspiration, who knows. Another possibility is of course that he had already written it before going to jail but didn't have time to record it, since he didn't record anything after getting shot.
Some other lyrics from the song that are somewhat Pac's style:
"Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone" Typical Pac, to mention his mother, although of course every rapper sometimes mentions his mother in his songs. But it is very similar to Pac's line from Cant C Me: "My own mama says I'm thugged out"
The use of the term "Lil' Homies". Of course, this is general slang that everyone uses but Pac seemed to talk about it just a lil' more often: "I'm the kinda G the lil' homies wanna be like
on my knees in the night, saying prayers in the streetlight"
Also, "be like" and "streetlight" sounds like a typical Pac rhyme that doesn't really rhyme, but again, anyone could have used that rhyme.
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death"
Something Pac uses more often (As The World Turns), but AGAIN, (it's getting repetitive) a term commonly used (especially by rappers).
"too much television watching got me chasing dreams
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind"
I swear I've heard a line by Pac very similar to that first line in one of his songs. Also, "educated fool" is something Pac often used when referring to him self.
"death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say"
Both the content (the euphemistic view on death) and the use of the term "do or die" is something typical of Pac's style, although 'do or die' of course was a popular term back then (and still is now) among rappers.
Now since I'm really reaching with all these questionable examples, I will also give you an example of a line that isn't really Pac's style:
"I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger"
Not really Pac's style to rep a gangsta set, or to claim to be a banger.
Now to be fair, I also would like to point out the possibility of the song being written by another ghostwriter, who perhaps (coincidentally) also was 23 at the time. I was thinking, who else kinda resembles the style of the song? I came up with Rappin' 4-tay and thought I was on to something when I saw that he is on 2 tracks of the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, but then I found out he was born in '68. So Pac is still more likely to me, unless someone else can come up with a better option? (a bay area rapper most likely)
So what do y'all think? Is there a good chance that Pac wrote the song or am I just reaching here? I mean, to be clear: in my mind Coolio still wrote the song because I could swear he said so in an interview and if he did: I have no reason to doubt his word. But it's still kinda weird how much the lyrics resemble Pac's style. I give it a 25% chance that Pac wrote the song, but if anyone can argue why (not)? Be welcome to do so..
My apologies in advance for the ridiculous length of this post (I actually erased it accidentally when I was almost finished
so this post really feels like it is my baby 
) and for hijacking the thread, if my attempt succeeds.. 
Feedback please...
(warning, EXTREMELY long for something so futile)
It's been rumoured that Pac was a ghostwriter for Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise. Now I don't think the rumours were really based on anything else than that the style of the verses kinda resembles Pac's style. Also, a while back, I think I read on this board that Coolio was asked about this in an interview and that he denied it. He said he wrote it himself (perhaps I'm making this up, but I coulda sworn I read something of this nature). If he did, we, of course, should assume he is talking the truth. Anyway, I always thought somebody just made it up 'cause they wanted it to be true or something..
I'm usually not really fond of any conspiracy theories, certainly not when it comes to Pac on THIS board, lord knows lol...
However, I recently got to thinking about it again and I was going over the lyrics again and I noticed something. I'm sure others have already mentioned it on this board but I have never come across it:
In the end of the first verse, Coolio raps:
"I'm twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-fo'?
The way things are going I don't know"
Now, the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, on which Gangsta's Paradise was released, was released on July 11th, 1995 (according to Amazon.com)
Now at that moment, 2pac had been 24 for less than a month. Assuming that the song was recorded at least a month before the release of the soundtrack and not more than 13 months before the soundtrack was released, you can argue that Pac was in fact 23 at the time the song was written and recorded. Another interesting fact: a year earlier, on the song Pain, Pac rapped: “Will I live to be 23?” So that line would certainly fit his style. (the lyrics go “I’m twent-three NOW”, perhaps referring to his own question from a year before but that is too far-fetched.) That second line of course makes perfect sense if Pac wrote it since, as we all know, he was going through some hard times in that period.
Now Coolio himself, on the other hand, was born in 1963 and was 23 in '86/'87. This indicates that either Coolio didn't write the song, he was talking about his earlier life experiences or he was talking about a fictious character. But if you listen to the song and follow the lyrics ("Will I live to be 24?"), I think it's safe to say that it wasn't about his own life 9 years earlier, since it would be kinda stupid of him to wonder if he will make it to 24 when he has already made it to 32.
So then, I started thinking: if a ghostwriter wrote it for him, who could have written it for him? 2pac obviously came to mind because of the style and their connection: Coolio did Pac a favour by helping him to make a video for Temptations. Maybe Pac returned the favour by giving him the song (or vice versa). At the time the soundtrack was released Pac was in prison of course, and Pac says in the Resurrection book that he only wrote one song (When I Get Free?) but I think I've also heard him say that it was 2-3 songs. Pac says he didn't have inspiration while in jail; if you look at the last verse from GP, you'll see that it's barely a half verse (the other verses aren't 16 bars either). Maybe because Coolio wrote it and that's his style, maybe 'cause Pac wrote it while in jail and he ran out of inspiration, who knows. Another possibility is of course that he had already written it before going to jail but didn't have time to record it, since he didn't record anything after getting shot.
Some other lyrics from the song that are somewhat Pac's style:
"Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone" Typical Pac, to mention his mother, although of course every rapper sometimes mentions his mother in his songs. But it is very similar to Pac's line from Cant C Me: "My own mama says I'm thugged out"
The use of the term "Lil' Homies". Of course, this is general slang that everyone uses but Pac seemed to talk about it just a lil' more often: "I'm the kinda G the lil' homies wanna be like
on my knees in the night, saying prayers in the streetlight"
Also, "be like" and "streetlight" sounds like a typical Pac rhyme that doesn't really rhyme, but again, anyone could have used that rhyme.
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death"
Something Pac uses more often (As The World Turns), but AGAIN, (it's getting repetitive) a term commonly used (especially by rappers).
"too much television watching got me chasing dreams
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind"
I swear I've heard a line by Pac very similar to that first line in one of his songs. Also, "educated fool" is something Pac often used when referring to him self.
"death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say"
Both the content (the euphemistic view on death) and the use of the term "do or die" is something typical of Pac's style, although 'do or die' of course was a popular term back then (and still is now) among rappers.
Now since I'm really reaching with all these questionable examples, I will also give you an example of a line that isn't really Pac's style:
"I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger"
Not really Pac's style to rep a gangsta set, or to claim to be a banger.
Now to be fair, I also would like to point out the possibility of the song being written by another ghostwriter, who perhaps (coincidentally) also was 23 at the time. I was thinking, who else kinda resembles the style of the song? I came up with Rappin' 4-tay and thought I was on to something when I saw that he is on 2 tracks of the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, but then I found out he was born in '68. So Pac is still more likely to me, unless someone else can come up with a better option? (a bay area rapper most likely)
So what do y'all think? Is there a good chance that Pac wrote the song or am I just reaching here? I mean, to be clear: in my mind Coolio still wrote the song because I could swear he said so in an interview and if he did: I have no reason to doubt his word. But it's still kinda weird how much the lyrics resemble Pac's style. I give it a 25% chance that Pac wrote the song, but if anyone can argue why (not)? Be welcome to do so..
My apologies in advance for the ridiculous length of this post (I actually erased it accidentally when I was almost finished
so this post really feels like it is my baby ) and for hijacking the thread, if my attempt succeeds.. Feedback please...
Some good points made there.. Havent listened to GP in like 10 years but yea I guess it is possible that maybe Pac wrote it for Coolio.. Guess we'll probaly never know for sure though.
