Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born on August 1, 1963, he is known professionally as Coolio, and was an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta’s Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). He was best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, as well as other singles “Fantastic Voyage” (1994), “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” (1996), and “C U When U Get There” (1997).
He provided the opening track “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the 1996 Nickelodeon television series Kenan & Kel. From 1996 on, Coolio released albums independently. He also created a web series titled Cookin’ with Coolio and released a cookbook. Ivey originally rose to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle alongside WC and his brother, Crazy Toones.
In 1995, Coolio released “Gangsta’s Paradise”, featuring R&B singer L.V., for the film Dangerous Minds. 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.
While at a friend’s house on September 28, 2022, Coolio was discovered unresponsive on a bathroom floor. First responders pronounced him dead on their arrival. Police have opened an investigation into his death, though foul play is not suspected, and Coolio’s manager stated he appeared to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Rapper Coolio Family
Coolio had six children. He married Josefa Salinas in 1996, and they divorced in 2000.
Rapper Coolio Parents
There is no information about his parents
Rapper Coolio Wife
Coolio was married to Josefa Salinas in 1996, and they divorced in 2000.
Rapper Coolio Children
Coolio had 6 children with his ex-wife, Josefa Salinas
Rapper Coolio Siblings
There is no information about his siblings.
