Coolio

Biography

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper, songwriter and record producer. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise×Gangsta's Paradise1 March 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Gangsta's Paradise (extended version)4:252Gangsta's Paradise (instrumental)2:50" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the course of hip-hop by bringing it to a wider audience. Other singles included "Fantastic Voyage×Fantastic Voyage11 July 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Fantastic Voyage (album version)4:072Fantastic Voyage (Timber mix)5:353Fantastic Voyage (Dave Bellochio Street mix)4:234Fantastic Voyage (QDill remix)4:335U Know Hoo! (album version)3:546Fantastic Voyage (Qdill Bonus Beats)4:31" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996), and "C U When U Get There×C U When U Get There17 June 1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1C U When U Get There (album version)5:112C U When U Get There (Ren Swan's mix)5:123C U When U Get There (Bill & Humberto's Orchestra mix)5:304C U When U Get There (Humberto's alternate mix)5:305Hit 'em (album version)4:22" (1997). He released nine albums, the first three of which achieved mainstream success: It Takes a Thief×It Takes a Thief19 July 1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1Fantastic Voyage (Timber mix)5:342County Line2:583Mama, I’m in Love Wit a Gangsta4:104Hand on My Nutsac3:295Ghetto Cartoon3:136Smokin' Stix3:207Can-O-Corn3:418U Know Hoo!3:529It Takes a Thief5:0710Bring Back Somethin fo da Hood3:1311N da Closet3:5212On My Way to Harlem3:1413Sticky Fingers3:0014Thought You Knew3:2015Ugly Bitches4:0716I Remember4:48 (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). Coolio first achieved recognition as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle. Coolio sold 4.8 million albums in the U.S.
He also created the six-episode reality television show Coolio's Rules (2008), the web series Cookin' with Coolio, and published a cookbook.

Early life

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born on August 1, 1963, in Monessen, Pennsylvania. His mother was a factory worker who divorced his father, who was a carpenter, and they moved to Compton, California, when Ivey was eight years old. Ivey was severely asthmatic and, as a child, he was taken to the hospital several times due to asthma complications. He was a regular visitor to his local library as a boy. He often played board games with his mother. He started rapping as a teenager, earning the nickname Coolio Iglesias due to his slick performances, a takeoff of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias; the nickname was later shortened to Coolio. He was arrested for taking a weapon to school and served prison time for larceny. As Compton went into decline in the 1980s, he became addicted to crack cocaine, but quit drugs after spending time living with his father in San Jose, crediting Christianity for helping him get over his addiction. There, he worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Coolio attended Compton Community College then worked in a volunteer fire department and security at Los Angeles International Airport, before becoming a rapper.

Music career

Coolio recorded his first single in 1987, titled "Whatcha Gonna Do?" In 1988, he recorded "What Makes You Dance (Force Groove)" with Nu-Skool. Coolio made connections in the L.A. rap scene, and in 1991, joined the group WC and the Maad Circle, led by rapper WC. He is a credited co-contributor on the group's debut album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, including on the single "Dress Code".

Tommy Boy Records and It Takes a Thief

In 1994, Coolio signed a recording contract with Tommy Boy Records and released his debut solo album It Takes a Thief×It Takes a Thief19 July 1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1Fantastic Voyage (Timber mix)5:342County Line2:583Mama, I’m in Love Wit a Gangsta4:104Hand on My Nutsac3:295Ghetto Cartoon3:136Smokin' Stix3:207Can-O-Corn3:418U Know Hoo!3:529It Takes a Thief5:0710Bring Back Somethin fo da Hood3:1311N da Closet3:5212On My Way to Harlem3:1413Sticky Fingers3:0014Thought You Knew3:2015Ugly Bitches4:0716I Remember4:48. The lead single "Fantastic Voyage×Fantastic Voyage11 July 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Fantastic Voyage (album version)4:072Fantastic Voyage (Timber mix)5:353Fantastic Voyage (Dave Bellochio Street mix)4:234Fantastic Voyage (QDill remix)4:335U Know Hoo! (album version)3:546Fantastic Voyage (Qdill Bonus Beats)4:31" received heavy rotation on MTV and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the biggest rap singles of the year. Other minor hits from the album include "County Line" and "I Remember×I Remember1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1I Remember (album mix)4:472I Remember (original version)4:533I Remember (LA remix)3:484I Remember (Kendal’s J Funk remix)4:105Mama I’m In Love Wit’ a Gangsta (album mix)4:096I Remember (LA remix instr.)3:487I Remember (Kendal’s J Funk instr.)4:46". It Takes a Thief peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, becoming certified Platinum. The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to the often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap.

Gangsta's Paradise

In 1995, for the film Dangerous Minds, Coolio released the single, "Gangsta's Paradise×Gangsta's Paradise1 March 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Gangsta's Paradise (extended version)4:252Gangsta's Paradise (instrumental)2:50", featuring R&B singer L.V.. It became one of the most successful rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. It was the No. 1 single of 1995 in the United States for all genres and was a global hit topping the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand charts. "Gangsta's Paradise" was the second-best-selling single of 1995 in the U.K. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic had not asked for permission to make his parody of "Gangsta's Paradise", titled "Amish Paradise". At the 1996 Grammy Awards, the song won Coolio a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Originally "Gangsta's Paradise" was not meant to be included in one of Coolio's studio albums, but due to its success, Coolio included it on the album, making it the title track. It interpolates the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder, which was recorded nearly 20 years earlier on Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life. The album Gangsta's Paradise was released in 1995 and was certified two-times platinum by the RIAA, selling more than two million copies in the US alone.
The album contains two other major hits in "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot×Too Hot1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Too Hot (clean version)3:412Exercise Yo’ Game (clean version)4:53" with J. T. Taylor of Kool & the Gang doing the chorus. Despite no longer being an official member of the group, Coolio appears on the second WC and the Maad Circle album Curb Servin' on the song "In a Twist". In 1996, Coolio had another top 40 hit with the song "It's All the Way Live (Now)×It's All the Way Live (Now)1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1It's All the Way Live (Timber mix)3:3621,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New) (Timber mix)3:21" from the soundtrack to the movie Eddie. He is also featured on the song "Hit 'em High" from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes.
In 2014, the band Falling in Reverse did a cover of "Gangsta's Paradise" for Punk Goes 90s Vol. 2, with Coolio making a cameo in the music video.

Red Hot Organization and Tommy Boy Records dismissal

In 1996, Coolio appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD America Is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip-hop artists. The CD meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African-American men. That same year, he recorded the music video "Aw, Here It Goes!" for the opening sequence of the Nickelodeon television series Kenan & Kel, which ran for four seasons.

Coolio's third solo album, My Soul×My Soul22 August 1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro0:2722 Minutes & 21 Seconds of Funk2:243One Mo3:454The Devil Is Dope4:135Hit 'Em4:226Knight Fall4:117Ooh La La4:068Can U Dig It3:449Nature of the Business4:4310Homeboy4:0811Throwndown 20003:5412Can I Get Down 1x3:4513Interlude1:0114My Soul4:1515Let's Do It4:3316C U When U Get There5:11, came out in 1997. Although it contains the major hit "C U When U Get There×C U When U Get There17 June 1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1C U When U Get There (album version)5:112C U When U Get There (Ren Swan's mix)5:123C U When U Get There (Bill & Humberto's Orchestra mix)5:304C U When U Get There (Humberto's alternate mix)5:305Hit 'em (album version)4:22" and the album went gold, it failed to reach the success of his previous two albums. Coolio was subsequently dropped from the Tommy Boy Records label. Since then, 2001's Coolio.com, 2003's El Cool Magnifico, 2006's The Return of the Gangsta, and 2008's Steal Hear, 2009's From the Bottom 2 the Top, and 2017's Long Live the Thief have not charted on any Billboard chart. He did have a minor hit in the UK in 2006 with "Gangsta Walk×Gangsta Walk8 August 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gangsta Walk3:51" (featuring Snoop Dogg).
While touring with hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse, Coolio received a tattoo as a homage to the group's fanbase, reading "Jugalo Cool" [sic]. He stated that the misspelling was intentional. Coolio performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Coolio is featured on an international collaboration track called "Fuck the DJ" by UK rapper Blacklisted MC, also featuring Bizarre of D12, Adil Omar (from Pakistan), and Uzimon (from Bermuda). The song premiered on music website Noisey from Vice in October 2014.

Television appearances

In 1996, Coolio made a guest appearance as himself on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
In 1997, Coolio voiced himself in the season four episode of the animated series Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man titled "Coolio Runnings". Additionally, Coolio performs his song "Geto Highlites" at the end of the episode.
Coolio appeared in a season five, 1998 episode of The Nanny, "Homie-Work", in which he portrays the nerdy Erwin, a "gift wrapper", and is transformed by the nanny into a "rapper" for Maxwell Sheffield's new rap musical. He additionally played himself in season six's "Making Whoopi".
In 2002, Coolio appeared as himself in an episode of Blind Date. Coolio appeared in the 15th episode of the fourth season of Charmed, which aired March 14, 2002. He plays the role of a Lazarus Demon.
In 2004, Coolio appeared as a contestant on Comeback – Die große Chance (Comeback: The Big Chance), a German talent show featuring artists looking for a comeback.
In the television series Futurama, Coolio voiced Kwanzaa-bot, a rapping robot who spreads awareness about Kwanzaa. His first appearance was in the 2001 episode "Tale of Two Santas", his second was in the 2007 TV Movie Bender's Big Score, performing the song "This Trinity's Going to War", and his third and final appearance was in the 2023 episode "I Know What You Did Next Xmas". The latter episode was dedicated to him, as he had recorded his lines for the episode just weeks prior to his death.
In 2009, Coolio appeared as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother 6, which he placed 3rd. He later went to appear on the UK's Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, where he decided it was best to leave the house after numerous confrontations with Nadia Almada and others there.
In January 2012, he was one of eight celebrities participating in the Food Network reality television series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, where he represented the Music Saves Lives Organization. In June of the same year, Coolio voiced a wax figure of himself on Gravity Falls.
Coolio was featured on the March 5, 2013, episode of the ABC reality program Wife Swap, but his then-girlfriend left him after the program was taped. On June 30, 2013, he appeared alongside comedian Jenny Eclair and Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden on the UK game show Tipping Point: Lucky Stars, where he came in second.
Coolio guest starred on a 2014 episode of the Adult Swim show Black Jesus titled "Gangsta's Paradise×Gangsta's Paradise1 March 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Gangsta's Paradise (extended version)4:252Gangsta's Paradise (instrumental)2:50".
In July 2016, Coolio performed on ABC's Greatest Hits.

Other appearances

In 2019, Coolio appeared on the Irish rap group Versatile's track "Escape Wagon". He later featured on their 2021 album, Fuck Versatile, on the track "Coolio Interlude".

Personal life

Ivey had ten children, four of whom were born to his wife, Josefa Salinas, whom he married in 1996 and divorced in 2000. In March 2022, he told Australia's Today Extra that he had five grandchildren.
In July 2008, Ivey and jazz saxophonist Jarez were enlisted as spokespersons by the group Environmental Justice and Climate Change to educate students at historically black colleges and universities about climate change. Ivey was a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, as his children are asthmatic.
He hosted the online cooking show Cookin' with Coolio, an offshoot of his reality show, Coolio's Rules that ran for six episodes in 2008.
Ivey was the running mate for pornographic film actress Cherie DeVille's Democratic presidential run in the 2020 United States presidential election; they ended their campaign in January 2019.

Legal issues

In 1998, a court in Böblingen, near Stuttgart, sentenced Ivey to six months' probation and fined him $17,000 after convicting him of being an accessory to robbery and causing bodily injury after Ivey and his band members allegedly attempted to shoplift clothing worth $940 and then punched the store owner when he was caught. Ivey alleged that he was promised the clothing for free in exchange for signing autographs.
In 2016, Ivey and members of his crew were arrested for having a loaded firearm inside a bag at Los Angeles International Airport. The bag was flagged by the Transportation Security Administration as the group attempted to pass through a security checkpoint. One of his bodyguards claimed ownership of the bag, but Ivey later admitted that he was the owner and was subsequently sentenced to three years of probation and 45 days of community service.
In 2017, Ivey missed a performance after he was denied entry into Singapore upon landing at Changi International Airport. Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority declined to comment on the reason for the denial, citing reasons of confidentiality. Coolio had been traveling from Beijing to Singapore to perform at a Formula One concert event.

Death

On September 28, 2022, Ivey was discovered unresponsive on the bathroom floor at a friend's house in Los Angeles, and was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. He was 59 years old. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office announced that Ivey died from an overdose of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, with cardiomyopathy, chronic asthma, and cigarette smoking playing a major role in his death. He was cremated in a private ceremony, with a portion of his ashes encased in jewelry for his family and the rest put into an urn.

Studio albums

It Takes a Thief (1994)
Gangsta's Paradise (1995)
My Soul (1997)
Coolio.com (2001)
El Cool Magnifico (2002)
The Return of the Gangsta (2006)
Steal Hear (2008)
From the Bottom 2 the Top (2009)
Long Live Coolio (TBA)

American Music Awards

The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. Coolio received one award from two nominations.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Coolio received one award from six nominations.

"Stomp" with Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal, Luniz

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Coolio received three awards from six nominations.