5 classic pop songs influenced by the Bible

By CP StaffSaturday, February 25, 2023

4. 'Gangster's Paradise' — Coolio (1995)

No, this is not a mistake: right from the start, rapper Coolio's ubiquitous '90s hit makes a famous reference to Psalm 23: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/ I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left."

Later in the song, Coolio raps the lyrics: "I'm the kind of G that little homies wanna be like/ On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the street light."

Before his sudden death in 2022 at age 59, Coolio — whose real name is Artis Ivey — earned international fame for "Gangster's Paradise" and earned a Grammy for best rap solo performance in 1996.

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