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Coolio

This article is about the hip hop artist. For the computer hacker, see Dennis Moran.
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) (age 44)

Compton, California, United States
Origin Compton, California, United States
Genre(s) Rap/Hip-Hop
West Coast Rap
Pop Rap
Gangsta Rap
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 1991–present
Associated acts WC and the Maad Circle
Website Coolio.name

Artis Leon Ivey, Jr. (born August 1, 1963) better known by his stage name Coolio, is a Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor perhaps best known for the hit song "Gangsta's Paradise", a reworking of the Stevie Wonder song Pastime Paradise. Coolio has also made numerous television and film appearances.

Contents

Biography

Early life

The son of Jackie (née Jones), a factory worker, and Artis Leon Ivey, Sr., a carpenter.[1] His brother is actor and rapper Trent Douglas. He worked as a California Conservation Corps-member at the Pomona site.[2]

Recording career

Coolio started his career as a member of the rap group, WC and the Maad Circle, which included WC, Sir Jinx and DJ Crazy Toones. He later left the group and released his most successful album Gangsta's Paradise, which went 4X Platinum and featured the mega hit, Gangsta's Paradise and the popular party track, Sumpin New. However, Coolio's next three albums, 1997's "My Soul", 2002's "El Cool Magnifico" and 2006's "Return of the Gangsta", failed to live up to the success of his first two albums.

Coolio's recordings also appeared on the soundtracks to Clueless (1995) and Dangerous Minds (1995). In 2005, he co-hosted the MOBO awards in the UK. The MOBO (an acronym for Music Of Black Origin) Awards, established in 1996 by Kanya King, are held annually in the UK to recognize artists of any race or nationality performing music of black origin.

Television

Coolio performed the theme song for the 1996 TV show Kenan and Kel, entitled "Awww Here It Goes." Coolio also was in a movie in 2000 called Gangland. He also starred in an episode of The Nanny.

In 2001, he was a special guest on Beat the Geeks. In 2002 Coolio guest starred in the hit series Charmed, as a Lazarus demon, in the episode Marry Go Round. He played himself in the episode Coolio Runnings of the animated comedy Duckman. He also voiced Kwanzaa-bot, a character featured in the "A Tale of Two Santas" episode of Futurama. In fact, according to the DVD commentary, the producers of Futurama were so impressed by his range of voices, that they said he could do voice-over work professionally. Coolio reprised the character for the direct-to-DVD feature Bender's Big Score.

In 2002, Coolio was a contestant on Celebrity Fear Factor. During the third round, he referred to himself as "El Cool Magnifico" (which would become the title of his fourth studio album). That same year, he appeared on Celebrity Bootcamp and won. Coolio starred in the 2003 made-for-TV movie Dracula 3000, in which he played a space-faring stoner named 187, and the feature film Exposed, in which he played a rapper named "Bigg Heat". Coolio played the role of US Navy sailor Franky in 2004 Croatian film Ta divna splitska noć (Wonderful night in Split). In 2004 he participated in the German Comeback Show where he finished as third behind Chris Norman and Benjamin Boyce. He made another television movie appearance in 2005 as a military officer in the horror film Pterodactyl. That year, he also appeared in Joey on the episode "Joey and the Poker."

In 2006, Coolio appeared in the "Tanner's Ghost" episode of the Celebrity Paranormal Project.

In 2008, Coolio is hosting an online cooking show (or video podcast), Cookin' with Coolio, for the network MyDamnChannel. He says he is trying to make "black food" healthier and more affordable for poor people (Newsweek). He says he "likes Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray".

Pop culture references

  • His song Gangsta's Paradise was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as Amish Paradise in 1996. Coolio did not take kindly to the parody initially due to claims that he did not sign off on it (Yankovic's agent claimed Coolio's agent did). He did receive royalties, however. Coolio has since forgiven Al, even signing autographs with him at an electronics show.
  • In the Twisted Metal 2 game for the PlayStation gaming console, he was in a billboard in the game.
  • In the television show 30 Rock, Tracy Jordan states that the Black Crusaders wanted him to disappear "just like Coolio" to which Liz Lemon responds "Coolio's still around".
  • Commenting on the criminal record of Ol' Dirty Bastard, Chris Rock asserts in his 1999 spoken word song, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)", that "ODB couldn't've possibly committed all those crimes. Coolio did some of that shit."
  • Ska punk band Patent Pending mentions Coolio in their song "The Website Is Under Construction," singing "Where the hell is Coolio tonight?"
  • Band Andrew Vincent and the Pirates mention Coolio in their song 'Girlfriend's Dog', singing "She calls him Frank, but I've been calling him Coolio"
  • In the song "Go To Church" from Ice Cube's "Laugh Now, Cry Later" album, rapper Snoop Dogg mentions Coolio.
  • In an episode of Futurama, what appears to be Coolio's face is shown on a coin.
  • In the children's computer game DinoPark Tycoon Coolio appears in the crowd of guests at the player's Dino Park.
  • In the UK TV series Benidorm, the character Chantelle names her baby Coolio.

Personal life

Coolio has six children but is separated from his wife.

Awards

  • 1994 : MTV Video Music Award Nomination for Best Rap Video. "Fantastic Voyage"
  • 1995 : Grammy Award Nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. "Fantastic Voyage"
  • 1995 : Billboard Music Award Win for Top Hot 100 Single Sales Single of the Year. "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1995 : Billboard Music Award Win for Top Hot 100 Single of the Year. "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1996 : American Music Award Win for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist.
  • 1996 : Grammy Award Win for Best Rap Solo Performance. "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1996 : Grammy Award Nomination for Record of the Year. "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1996 : MTV Video Music Award Win for Best Rap Video. "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1996 : MTV Video Music Award Win for Best Video from a Film . "Gangsta's Paradise"
  • 1996 : MTV Video Music Award Win for Best Dance Video. "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)")
  • 1996 : MTV Video Music Award Nomination for Best Male Video. "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)")
  • 1997 : Grammy Award Nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. "Stomp"
  • 1998 : Grammy Award Nomination for Best Rap Performance. "C U When U Get There"

Discography

Albums

Album Information
It Takes a Thief
  • Released: July 19, 1994
  • Chart Positions: #8 US #5 Top Hip Hop/R&B
  • Last RIAA certification: Platinum
  • Singles: "It Takes a Thief", "County Line", "Fantastic Voyage", "I Remember", "Mama I'm in Love Wit a Gangsta"
Gangsta's Paradise
  • Released: November 21, 1995
  • Chart Positions: #9 US, #14 R&B/Hip-Hop
  • Last RIAA certification: 4x Platinum
  • Singles: "Gangsta's Paradise", "Too Hot", "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)"
My Soul
Coolio.com
Fantastic Voyage: The Greatest Hits
El Cool Magnifico
Coolio and Friends
The Return of the Gangsta
Steal Hear

WC and the Maad Circle

Album Information
Ain't a Damn Thang Changed
Curb Servin'
  • Released: 1995
  • Chart Positions: #85 US, #15 R&B/Hip-Hop
  • Last RIAA certification: Gold
  • Singles: "West Up!", "The One"

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B U.S. Rap UK Singles Chart
1993 "It Takes A Thief" - - - - It Takes a Thief
"County Line" - 97 27 -
1994 "I Remember" - 83 48 73
"Fantastic Voyage" 3 12 2 41
"Mama I'm in Love Wit' a Gangsta" - - 49 -
1995 "Gangsta's Paradise" (featuring L.V.) 1 2 1 1 Gangsta's Paradise
"Too Hot" 24 31 6 9
1996 "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" 5 24 6 13
"Payback" (Montell Jordan featuring Coolio) - - - - This Is How We Do It (Montell Jordan album)
"It's All the Way Live (Now)" 29 47 9 34 Eddie soundtrack
"Keep It On the Red Light" (Ophelie Winter featuring Coolio) - - - - No Soucy! (Ophelie Winter album)
1997 "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)"
(with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes)		 - - - 8 Space Jam soundtrack
"The Winner" - - - 53
"C U When U Get There" (featuring 40 Thevz) 12 34 7 3 My Soul
"Ooh La La" - - - 14
1998 "[I'm in love with] Mary Jane" - - - - Half-Baked Soundtrack
"Raise the Roof" (Chazz featuring Coolio) - - - - —
2002 "Somebody's Gotta Die" (featuring Krayzie Bone) - - - - El Cool Magnifico
2003 "I Like Girls" (featuring Ms Toi) - - - -
"Ghetto Square Dance" - - - -
"What Is An MC" - - - -
"Sunshine" - - - -
2004 "The Hustler" (featuring Kenny Rogers) - - - - Coolio and Friends
2006 "Gangsta Walk" (featuring Snoop Dogg) - - - 67 The Return of the Gangsta

References

  1. ^ Coolio Biography (1963-)
  2. ^ http://www.ccc.ca.gov/CORPMEMB/corpmemb.htm

External links

The original article is from Wikipedia. To view the original article please click here.
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