Coolio is an American rapper. His first rising to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio achieved mainstream success as a solo artist in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief, Gangsta’s Paradise, and My Soul. Coolio is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award–winning hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, as well as other singles “Fantastic Voyage”, “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)”, and “C U When U Get There”.
Birth Name
Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
Nickname
El Cool Magnifico, Coolio
Profession
Rapper, Actor, Chef, Record Producer
Genre
Hip-hop, Gangsta rap, West Coast hip-hop, G-funk, Pop rap
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Tommy Boy Records, Warner Bros, Allied Artists Music Group.
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Coolio was born on the 1st of August 1963, in Monessen, Pennsylvania, United States.
Died
He was died on the 28th of September 2022 (aged 59), in Los Angeles, California, United States due to a suspected heart attack. Coolio’s family later revealed that he died from fentanyl. He also had heroin and methamphetamines in his body at the time of his death.
Sun Sign
Leo
Ethnicity
Black
Coolio had African-American ancestry.
Religion
Unknown
He believed in God, but not in any organized religion.
Education
After he graduated high school, Coolio went to Compton Community College.
Family Details
- Father – Artis Leon Ivey Sr. (Carpenter)
- Mother – Jackie Slater (Factory Worker)
- Siblings – Unknown
Marital Status
Divorced
Girlfriend / Spouse
Coolio has dated –
- Adina Howard – Coolio was dating the singer, Adina Howard, early on in his career.
- Josefa Salinas (1987-2000) – In 1987, Coolio and Josefa Salinas started dating and their dating life lasted for about 9 years until May 18, 1996, when they got married. Unfortunately, In 2000, the marriage went on for 3 years only, because they got divorced. They have 4 children as a result of their marriage- Artisha Ivey, Brandi Ivey , Artis Ivey, and Jackie Ivey.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 9 inches
- In centimeters – 175 cm
- In meters – 1.75 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 80 kg
- In Pounds – 177 lbs
Body Build
Average
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Shoe Size
He wears a size 10.5 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Coolio became 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). From 1996 on, Coolio released albums independently, and provided the opening track Aw, Here It Goes! for the 1996 Nickelodeon television series Kenan & Kel. He created the web series Cookin’ with Coolio and released a cookbook.
Singing Debut
In 1994, Coolio debut solo album titled It Takes a Thief was released, where singles Fantastic Voyage, County Line, and I Remember came from. In 1987, Coolio recorded his first single titled Whatcha Gonna Do?.
Film Debut
In 1996, Coolio had his first film onscreen role in the movie Dear God as Gerard.
Television Debut
In 1995, Coolio landed his first role in television by appearing as The Gangster in the series, The Parent ‘Hood.
Brand Endorsements
He has done endorsement work for several brands such as Verizon Wireless phone service (2003), The Best Rap Album in the World…Ever!, Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
Coolio Net worth
Coolio has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
Some Lesser Known Facts About Coolio
- Coolio was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania and was raised mostly in Compton.
- He started rapping as a teenager, earning the nickname Coolio Iglesias, after Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, which was later shortened to Coolio.
- He was arrested for taking a weapon to school and served prison time for larceny. As Compton declined in the 1980s, he became addicted to crack cocaine, but quit drugs.
- 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 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. It was the No. 1 single of 1995.
- He had a known movie career as he appeared in Batman and Robin, Judgement Day and many other movies.
- During the tour for the hip-hop duo named Insane Clow Posse, Coolio had gotten a tattoo that reads Jugalo Cool. The misspelling was intentional, and the tattoo was dedicated to his fanbase.
- The single Fantastic Voyage was loved by the white audience, even though he was known for releasing songs and lyrics that cater to African-Americans and drug problems.
- He owned a management company named Crowbar Management, as well as a hair salon named Whoop-De-Doo located in Long Beach, California, United States.
- In December 2022, Coolio had passed away without a will in place to divide his fortunes among his family.
