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Coolio

Coolio grew up in Compton after being born in Monessen, Pennsylvania, and he became one of the most recognisable rappers of the nineties by pairing street-level stories with hooks almost anyone could sing. "Gangsta's Paradise," built on a Stevie Wonder sample, was one of the biggest songs of the decade and won him a Grammy, but he had a knack for crossover hits well beyond it, from "Fantastic Voyage" to the Pachelbel-sampling "C U When U Get There." He died in 2022 at 59, leaving behind a catalogue that moved easily between hard-edged hip-hop and pure pop reach.

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Gangsta’s Paradise (1995). His second album is the one with the title track, but it's not a one-song record: "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot" were hits too, and it shows his gift for wrapping serious subject matter in big, warm melodies.

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Biography

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper, songwriter and record producer. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the course of hip-hop by bringing it to a wider audience. Other singles included "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996), and "C U When U Get There" (1997). He released nine albums, the first three of which achieved mainstream success: It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). Coolio first achieved recognition as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle. Coolio sold 4.8 million albums in the U.S.

He also created the six-episode reality television show Coolio's Rules (2008), the web series Cookin' with Coolio, and published a cookbook.

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