Rapper Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., better known as Coolio, was born on August 1, 1963 in Monessen, Pennsylvania. He had a troubled childhood, dealing with the divorce of his parents and spending time with members of a local gang, eventually getting sent to jail at age 17 for larceny. After entering rehab because of an addiction with crack cocaine, he took various jobs before deciding to resume his musical career, having started performing in high school with the name “Coolio Iglesias.”
He was a member of the rap group WC and the Maad Circle, which was active from 1991 to 1995. He released an album with the group, Ain’t a Damn Thang Changed, before leaving in 1994 to pursue a solo career. He released his first album, It Takes a Thief, that same year; a single from that album, “Fantastic Voyage,” became his breakout hit after receiving significant airtime on MTV. It wasn’t until 1995, however, when Coolio became a household name, when he released the album Gangsta’s Paradise. Its first single of the same name reached number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100, as well as other national charts across the world, making it his most successful single ever. He was later awarded a Grammy for the song.
Coolio then released three more albums: My Soul, in 1997; El Cool Magnifico, in 2002; and The Return of the Gangsta, in 2006. None of them lived up to the success of his first two albums.
Coolio also has had extensive work on television and film, initially because of his music. “Gangsta’s Paradise” appeared on the soundtrack to Michelle Pfieffer’s film Dangerous Minds. He also performed the theme song to the teen sitcom Kenan & Kel. He also acted in films; his first was in the 1996 comedy Dear God, and was followed by films like Midnight Mass, Gangland and Gang Warz. He also appeared in television shows such as The Nanny, Charmed, Futurama, Celebrity Fear Factor, Celebrity Paranormal Project and, most recently, his own reality show, Coolio Rules.