Artis Leon Ivey Jr., an American rapper, actor, and record producer went by the stage name Coolio. Coolio became well-known in the mid-to-late-1990s thanks to his albums. It Takes a Thief, Gangsta’s Paradise, and My Soul.
“Gangsta’s Paradise,” which won a Grammy Award in 1995, “Fantastic Voyage,” “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New),” and “C U When U Get There” are some of his best-known songs.
He wrote the theme song “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel, which first aired in 1996. In 1996, Coolio started putting out his records.
He also wrote a cookbook and began a web series called Cookin’ with Coolio. Ivey first became known in the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle with WC and his brother Crazy Tostones.
Coolio Early Life
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania, on August 1, 1963. However, he eventually moved to Compton, California.
After graduating from Compton Community College, he did many different things for a living, like working as a security guard at the Los Angeles International Airport and volunteer firefighting. He finally decided that he wanted to be a rapper.
Coolio Music Career
Coolio released the songs “Whatcha Gonna Do?” and “What Makes You Dance” at the end of the 1980s. In 1991, he joined the band WC and the Maad Circle, which released “Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed” later that same year.
After Tommy Boy Records signed him, his first album by himself, “It Takes a Thief,” came out in July of that same year.
The RIAA certified the single “Fantastic Voyage” as 2x Platinum, reaching #3 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 list. It was given a Platinum rating in the US and a Gold rating in Canada. LV and Coolio worked together on the “Gangsta’s Paradise” song for the 1995 movie “Dangerous Minds.”
The song was the best-selling single on the “Billboard” Hot 100 in 1995. It also won Coolio a Grammy and was named one of “Billboard’s” 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs, “VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Rap,” and “NME’s” 100 Best Songs of the 1990s.
The title track from Coolio’s second album, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” went 2x Platinum in the US and hit the top 10 in the US, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland. This album had the singles “Too Hot” and “1, 2, 3, 4.”
Even though Coolio’s third album, “My Soul,” was certified Platinum, he was fired from Tommy Boys Records because it didn’t sell as well as his other albums. In the future, he released the albums “Coolio.com,” “El Cool Magnifico,” “The Return of the Gangsta,” “Steal Hear,” and “From the Bottom 2 the Top.” Coolio is on the soundtracks for the movies “Clueless,” “Space Jam,” “Eddie,” and “Nothing to Lose.”
Related Topics:
- Nolan Ryan Net Worth 2022: Early Years, After Retirement, Career, Criticism!
- Perez Hilton Net Worth 2022: What is the Other Controversy About Perez Hilton?
- Mike Farrell Net Worth 2022: What’s the Interesting Thing About His Personal Life?
Coolio Film and Television Career
Coolio’s first role was in an episode of “The Parent ‘Hood” from 1995. Over the next three years, he also appeared on “All That,” “Space: Above and Beyond,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Duckman,” “Muppets Tonight,” and “The Nanny.” In the 1990s, he sang the theme song for Nickelodeon’s “Kenan and Kel.”
He also appeared in the movies “Belly,” “An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn,” and “Batman & Robin.” Coolio has also been on reality TV shows like “Fear Factor,” “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off,” “Celebrity Wife Swap,” and the British show “Celebrity Big Brother.”
In 2008, he was on a few of his shows, like “Coolio’s Rules” on Oxygen and “Cookin’ with Coolio” on My Damn Channel. He also did the voice for the Adult Swim show “Squidbillies.” Coolio has recently been on the TV shows “BTS: American Hustle Life” and “Black Jesus.”
What Was Coolio’s Net Worth?
According to celebritynetworth, Grammy-winning rapper and actor, Coolio was worth $1.5 million when he died. Sad to say, Coolio was killed on September 28, 2022.
Coolio was an essential part of the culture of the 1990s. When “Fantastic Voyage,” his first single, came out in 1994, he immediately became a star. He was 59 years old.
It became popular quickly, just like his 1995 song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which reached number one in ten countries. Coolio has put out eight studio albums with hit songs like “Too Hot” and “C U When U Get There” (featuring 40 Thevz).
What Was the Cause of Death?
After Coolio collapsed inside the bathroom at about four o’clock in the afternoon, TMZ, the first media outlet to disclose the news, reported that the emergency services were called to the house.
According to the source, he died at the site of what appears to have been a cardiac arrest.
Coolio Awards and Nominations
Coolio was nominated for six Grammys, and his song “Gangsta’s Paradise” won the award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996.
He was also nominated for and won the Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist American Music Award in 1997. Coolio was also nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards, winning three in 1996 for “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)”: Best Rap Video, Best Video from a Film, and Best Dance Video.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Old is Rapper Coolio?
Hip-hop pioneer and rapper Coolio passed away at the age of 59. Coolio, a Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and actor, has passed away. The songs “Fantastic Voyage” and “Gangsta’s Paradise” made him the most well-known.
Where is Coolio’s Residence?
Compton is located in Southern Los Angeles County, California, south of Downtown Los Angeles. Compton, one of the country’s oldest cities, was incorporated as the ninth city in Los Angeles County on May 11, 1888.