Coolio is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and chef who rose to instant fame with his music for Gangsta’s Paradise single, which won a Grammy Award for “Best Solo Rap Performance” in 1996. The song garnered even more attention from audiences , when it was featured on the soundtrack for the film Dangerous Thoughts starring Michelle Pfeiffer. He has used his own life experiences and struggles with drug addiction to write and release famous singles such as Fantastic Journey (1994), which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New) 1996 and CU When you get there1997. After being dropped from his first record label, he released a few other less successful albums from 2001 to 2008. Tommy Boy Records. Since then, Coolio has taken his career in a different direction – as an actor in films, TV series, reality TV shows as well as voice talent.

Born name

Artis Leon Ivey Jr.

nickname

El Cool Magnificent, Coolio

Sun sign

Lion

Place of birth

Compton, California, USA

Residence

Compton, California, USA

nationality

training

After graduating high school, Coolio went to Compton Community College .

occupation

Rapper, actor, chef, record producer

family

• Father – Artis Leon Ivey Sr. (Carpenter)
• Mother – Jackie Slater (Factory Worker)
• Siblings – unknown

Manager

Coolio is represented by J Star Entertainment (JSE).

Genre

Hip-Hop, Gangsta-Rap, Westküsten-Hip-Hop, G-Funk

instruments

Life

labels

• Tommy Boy Records
• Warner Bros.

To build

Average

Height

5 feet 8 inches or 173 cm

weight

80 kg or 176.5 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Coolio dated –

1. Adina Howard – Coolio dated singer Adina Howard early in his career.
2. Josefa Salinas (1987-2000) – Coolio and Josefa Salinas started dating in 1987 and their dating life lasted about 9 years until May 18, 1996 when they got married. Unfortunately, the marriage only lasted 3 years as they divorced in 2000. They have 4 children as a result of their marriage – Artisha Ivey (born January 14, 1988), Brandi Ivey (born April 19, 1988), Artis Ivey (born September 28, 1989) and Jackie Ivey (born January 26, 1993).
3. Nora Amile (2007) – The two are rumored to have met in 2007 but broke up that same year.
4. Coolio has other children with women who are not publicly known – sons Artis Ivey III, Grtis Ivey, Darius Ivey and Milan Ivey, and daughters Zhaneand Ivey, Shayne Ivey and Kate Ivey.

race/ethnicity

Schwarz

Coolio has African American ancestry.

hair colour

dark brown

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• Braids resembling antennas
• Often wears hats

brand promotion

Coolio has appeared in commercials like –

• Verizon Wireless Phone Service (2003)
• The best rap album in the world…ever!
• Mikes harte Limonade

He has supported charities like –

• Music saves lives
• environmental justice and climate change
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Religion

He believes in God but not in organized religion.

Known for

• His Grammy Award -winning single Gangsta’s Paradise in 1995
• His singles Fantastic Journey (1994) and When You Get There (1997)
• Featuring in the theme song for Kenan & Kel series on Nickelodeon
• Cast member in the web series Cooking with Coolio
• Part of WC and the Maad Circle rap group

First album

His first solo album entitled It Takes a Thief was released in 1994, where singles Fantastic Journey , County Line Before and I Remember came out.

first movie

He made his big screen debut as himself in Phat Beach in 1996.

First TV show

Coolio made his TV show debut as himself on All That in February 1995.

Coolio favorite things

• Interest – collecting snow domes
• Cars – Lexus, Nissan Infiniti
• Artist – Peter Kitchell
• Rapper – Notorious BIG, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur
• Quote – “People learn better when entertained. Cooking isn’t just for the empowered elite. Everyone should know how to cook.”

cool facts

1. He has collaborated with rappers like Method Man, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes.
2. Coolio reworked a country classic, Kenny Rogers ‘ The Gambler . Although Kenny collaborated on the project himself, the song was only released on the Japanese-oriented album Coolio.com and was not a huge hit.
3. His addiction to tears almost cost him his life.
4. Coolio’s childhood was surrounded by books such as the library was located very close to the house where he lived with his sister as a child. He claimed that he had read every children’s book in the library and even Judy Blume’s books about puberty in women.
5. His mother died of a stroke.
6. He had a white German Shepherd named Fernix.
7. The single Fantastic Journey was loved by white audiences, although he was known for releasing songs and lyrics that cater to African Americans and drug issues. Thinking he was losing touch, he teamed up with a rapper LeShaun and released the song. Mom, I’m in love with a gangsta 1994 was a lot grittier and more serious.
8. He earned the nickname while studying at Compton Community College . It was initially Coolio Iglesias, but he later shortened it.
9. Coolio has made some notable cameo appearances in music videos such as Blondie’s Rapture/Maria/No Exit , Tupac Shakur’s Temptation , and Squeezer’s Hot Bikini .
10. He has a well-known film career, appearing in Batman and Robin , Judgment Day and many other films.
11. Coolio was a volunteer firefighter after his college education finished.
12. While touring for the hip hop duo called Mad Clow Posse , Coolio had gotten a tattoo that reads Jugalo Cool. The misspellings were intentional and the tattoo is dedicated to his fan base.
13. He has had asthma since he was a child and his children also suffer from asthma which is why he supports the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America .
14. His appearances in TV programs attracted great public interest. Coolio has appeared in Celebrity Fear Factor , Celebrity Paranormal Project , Celebrity Wife Swap , Sabrina The Teenage Witch , as well as Celebrity Big Brother .
15. He admitted that during the television show Celebrity Wife Swap , his longtime girlfriend was actually just his good friend and that the show was set up from the start. It wasn’t long before news of their breakup hit the media.
16. Producers of the famous animated series, Futurama , invited him to guest star in one of the episodes called A Tale of Two Santa Clauses . He had given his voice to Kwanzaa-bot and was praised for his vocal ability and even offered suggestions on how he could pursue a career.
17. On September 17, 2016, Coolio was arrested at the detention center at Los Angeles International Airport . This was due to a concealed, loaded firearm in a bag that he and his bodyguards attempted to get through a security checkpoint without reporting. One of his bodyguards admitted it was him, but some rumor has it that the gun was Coolio’s. His sentence was 3 years probation and 45 days of community service.
18. Coolio owns a management company called Crowbar Management and a hair salon called Whoop-De-Doo located in Long Beach, California, USA.
19. He had a single name Gangsta Walk that he recorded with Snoop Dogg.
20. Visit its official website at www.coolioworld.com
21. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, SoundCloud and Tumblr.