Who gives a shit if it's a "rap" song! Music is a universal language, and it's a great song with great lyrics. This is not the easiest song for a folk or acoustic based artist to cover, and this guy absolutely killed it. I bet if coolio and lv heard it they'd love it, stop throwing shade bc you aren't as talented as him. I was in grade school when it came out, and I didn't know one kid, regardless of where they lived or they nationality, that didn't absolutely love this song. Real music is univ
I remember when I was like 17 and by that point I had been OBSESSED with James for 4 years, and I discovered this, then a couple guys from college discovered it and were equally amazed and I was like 'it took this for you all to realise hes undeniably talented and amazing??'
"Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk" is my favourite threat/insult ever. I try and fit it into every arguments and misunderstandings. It often ends the disagreement due to the ridiculousness of it and the mutual love nearly everyone under the age of 40 has for this song.
He got the balance between Coolio's swagger and his natural manner of speech/singing without sounding silly... he's just amazing.. such a rich voice you could touch it..
I don't understand why people complain that he is covering a fucking rap song when most rap artist & pop stars cover good songs and ruin it like Nicki Minaj "anaconda" it's fucking terrible but its got more views than this because she is shaking her ass the whole way through the fucking film clip.
He is singing the theme song for the movie that provoked me to declare Michelle pfieffer as one of my favourite actresses. Ugh I love this so much! Ur awesome James!!
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left Cause I've been blasting and laughing so long, That even my mama thinks that my mind is gone But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it Me be treated like a punk you know that's unheard of You better watch how you're talking and where you're walking Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk I really hate to trip but I gotta loc As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night saying prayers in the streetlight Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Look at the situation they got me facin' I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets So I gotta be down with the hood team Too much television watching got me chasing dreams I'm an educated fool with money on my mind Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger, fool Death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away, I'm living life, do or die, what can I say I'm 23 now, but will I live to see 24 The way things are going I don't know Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Power and the money, money and the power Minute after minute, hour after hour Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking What's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin' They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me If they can't understand it, how can they reach me I guess they can't, I guess they won't I guess they front, that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Tell me why are we so blind to see That the one's we hurt are you and me Tell me why are we so blind to see That the one's we hurt are you and me [Fade out]
The most amazingly simple voices disect music that weve heard previously and give it new life always respect a blues singer they really will give you there all congradulations james for being you Im going to tell 2 freinds and so and so on. A++++++++++++++++
The best of the best , ce mec transforme le plomb en or , James est un joyaux oublié , le meilleur de sa génération et d un niveau supérieur lorsque l on parle de sensibilité de feeling et d émotion, il a le rythme, la vib , et le coeur pour transformer le plomb en or , il est l alchimiste de la pop , le king of pop aurait aimé James , en tout cas moi je t aime et je te remerci pour ta générosité !
