Coolio

For the computer hacker, see Dennis Moran (computer criminal).

Coolio
Coolio at a US Army base in Bosnia (2002)
Background information
Birth name	Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
Born	August 1, 1963 (1963-08-01) Monessen, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Origin	Compton, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, gangsta rap, g-funk
Occupations	Rapper, actor, record producer
Years active	1988 - present
Labels	Tommy Boy/Warner Bros.
Associated acts	WC and the Maad Circle, Low Profile, Sir Jinx, Ras Kass, Ice-T

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963), better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor, and record producer.

Music

Late 80s

He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me". Neither single was successful, but Coolio had made connections in the Los Angeles rap scene, and ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. WC was the group's lead rapper, but Coolio was another rapper in the group. He had a few verses on the group's debut album, Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, including on the single "Dress Code". The album was regionally successful, but did not make much impact on a national scale.

Tommy Boy Records and "Fantastic Voyage"

Three years later in 1994 Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut solo album, It Takes a Thief. The album contained the single "Fantastic Voyage" which became Coolio's breakout song. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the biggest rap singles of the year. The album also contained a few minor hits in "County Line" and "I Remember". Overall the album was very successful peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 200 and being certified Platinum. The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap.

"Gangsta's Paradise"

After the success of his debut Coolio became a legitimate rap star. In 1995 he made a song for the movie Dangerous Minds, and this song became "Gangsta's Paradise". "Gangsta's Paradise", which featured R&B singer L.V., would became one of the most successful rap songs of all time, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. It was the #1 single of 1995 for all genres, and was a truly global hit, as it reached #1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that parody artist 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 for Best Rap Solo Performance.

Originally "Gangsta's Paradise" wasn't meant to be included on one of Coolio's studio albums, but its extreme success led to Coolio not only putting it on his next album, but also making it the title track. The album Gangsta's Paradise was released in 1995 and with the mega-hit was certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA. The album also contained two other major hits in "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot". Despite no longer being an official member of the group, Coolio also made an appearance 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)" from the soundtrack to the movie Eddie. He was also featured on the song "Hit 'em High" from the soundtrack to the movie Space Jam with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes

Red Hot Organization, album flop, 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, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine. That same year, he recorded the theme song and appeared in the opening sequence of the Nickelodeon TV series Kenan & Kel which ran for four seasons.

After the massive success of the Gangsta's Paradise album, Coolio had a tough job to make a proper followup. His third solo album, titled My Soul came out in 1996. Although it did contain the major hit "C U When U Get There", the album was considered a disappointment and failed to reach the success of his previous two albums. Subsequently Coolio was dropped from Tommy Boy Records and his albums since then, 2001's Coolio.com, 2003's El Cool Magnifico, 2006's The Return of the Gangsta, and 2008's Steal Hear have not been successful, as none has charted on any Billboard chart. He did have a minor hit in the UK in 2006 however in "Gangsta Walk" (featuring Snoop Dogg) which peaked at #67 on the UK pop chart.

While touring with hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, Coolio received a tattoo as a homage to the group's fanbase, reading "Jugalo Cool". He stated that the misspelling was intentional. Coolio has performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos, and identifies as a Juggalo.

In early 2012 a youtube video surfaced featuring a preview of brand new Coolio lyrics on a track with UK rap/rock band 'Free Lurch'.

Personal life

Family

In the 2009 season of the British television show Celebrity Big Brother Coolio talked about his six children from four different relationships, including two daughters, Shayne and Kate, born on January 21, 1987.

Charity work

Coolio and jazz saxophonist Jarez were enlisted in July 2008 as spokespersons by the group Environmental Justice and Climate Change to educate students at historically black colleges and universities about global warming.

Coolio is a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. He says that he and his children are asthma sufferers. As a child, he was taken to the hospital several times due to asthma complications.

In January 2012, he was one of eight celebrities participating in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, where he represented the Music Saves Lives organization. He came in second place, losing to Lou Diamond Phillips. As runner up, he was awarded $10,000 for his charity.

Legal issues

In November 1997, Coolio was arrested for robbing a boutique in Böblingen, Germany together with his support crew "40 Thieves". He was sentenced to six months probation and a 30.000.- Mark fine. During March 2009 he was detained at Los Angeles airport for possession of crack cocaine.

Discography

Main article: Coolio discography

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

Filmography

Coolio has made numerous appearances in television and movies, mostly small roles or cameos.

• Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1996)
• Kenan and Kel (1996-2000) (Appeared and sang the theme song in the opening credits)
• Batman & Robin (1997)
• An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)
• Muppets Tonight (1997)
• The Nanny - The TV Series Episode: Homie Work (1998)
• On the Line (1998)
• Bad Trip (1999)
• Malcolm & Eddie Season 3 'Daddio' (1999)
• Early Edition Season 3 'Number one with a bullet' (1999)
• Leprechaun: In The Hood (2000)
• Submerged (2000)
• Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000)
• The Convent (2000)
• China Strike Force (2000)
• Dope Case Pending (2000)
• Get Over It (2001)
• In Pursuit (2001)
• Static Shock (2002)
• Stealing Candy (2002)
• Move (2002)
• Daredevil (2003) (Scenes deleted, restored in 2005 Director's Cut)
• Tapped Out (2003)
• Pterodactyl (2003)
• Red Water (2003)
• A Wonderful Night in Split (2004)
• Dracula 3000 (2004)
• Ravedactyl: Project Evolution (2005); short film
• Gang Warz (2006)
• Grad Night (2006)
• Three days to Vegas (2007)
• Futurama: Bender's Big Score, as tea leoni
• Chinaman's Chance (2008)
• Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off (2012)

Awards and nominations

Coolio awards and nominations

Awards and nominations Award Wins Nominations American Music Awards 1 2 Grammy Awards 1 6 MTV Video Music Awards 3 5
Totals
Awards won	5
Nominations	13

Coolio's 1995 song "Gangsta's Paradise" received several awards, including Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards; and Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film at the MTV Video Music Awards. Coolio himself has received several awards, including Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist at the American Music Awards in 1996. At the Grammy Awards in 1997, Coolio received three nominations: Best Rap Album for Gangsta's Paradise, Best Rap Solo Performance for "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)", and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Stomp". Overall, Coolio has received five awards from thirteen nominations.

American Music Awards

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

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1996	Coolio	Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist	Won
1997	Coolio	Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist	Nominated

Grammy Awards

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

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1995	"Fantastic Voyage"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
1996	"Gangsta's Paradise"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Won
		Record of the Year	Nominated
1997	Gangsta's Paradise	Best Rap Album	Nominated
	"1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
	"Stomp"	Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group	Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

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

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1994	"Fantastic Voyage"	Best Rap Video	Nominated
1996	"Gangsta's Paradise"	Best Rap Video	Won
		Best Video from a Film	Won
	"1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"	Best Dance Video	Won
		Best Male Video	Nominated

External links

• Intrigue Management Coolio's Agent
• Coolio videos on Yahoo! Music
• Coolio at the Internet Movie Database
• Shovio Coolio on Shovio