Memorial Page for Coolio (née Artis Leon Ivey Jr.)

Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., 1 August 1963 in Monessen, Pennsylvania; died 28 September 2022 in Los Angeles) was an American rapper, songwriter and actor. In the 1990s he was among the biggest names in hip-hop. His “Gangsta's Paradise” spent three weeks at the top of the US charts in 1995, finished the year as the biggest song on that chart and won him a Grammy in 1996.

From Monessen to Compton

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born in Monessen, a town south of Pittsburgh, and moved as a child to Compton, California, where he grew up. For a while as a teenager his mother sent him to Northern California because she felt the city was too dangerous. He never forgot his birthplace; in his song “I Remember” he rapped:

“Runnin' through the streets of Monessen, Pa.”

He said he became a hip-hop fan after hearing “Freedom” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He wrote his first song at 15 and knew by 18 that rapping was what he wanted to do with his life. Before that could happen, he went to community college and worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security.

The way up

He became a regular performer on the Los Angeles rap scene. In 1991 he joined the group WC and the Maad Circle and recorded the album “Ain't a Damn Thang Changed” with them. In 1994 came his own debut on Tommy Boy Records, “It Takes a Thief”. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, and the single “Fantastic Voyage” – built on a sample of Lakeside's 1981 song of the same name, with a video directed by F. Gary Gray – reached No. 3 and became his breakthrough.

Gangsta's Paradise

In August 1995 came “Gangsta's Paradise”, recorded with the singer L.V. and released on the soundtrack of the film “Dangerous Minds”. The song interpolates Stevie Wonder's 1976 “Pastime Paradise” and opens with a line from Psalm 23. By his own account Coolio freestyled the first lines and then wrote the rest without stopping, from the first verse to the third. Years later he said:

“'Gangsta's Paradise' wanted to be born; it wanted to come to life, and it chose me as the vessel.”

“Gangsta's Paradise” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and finished 1995 as the year-end No. 1 song on that chart. The video was directed by Antoine Fuqua, with Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her film role; on YouTube it has passed a billion views. In 1996 it won Coolio the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, along with a nomination for Record of the Year. The ceremony came amid a fierce feud between the hip-hop communities of the two coasts, and Coolio accepted the award with the words “I'd like to claim this Grammy on behalf of the whole hip-hop nation, West Coast, East Coast, and worldwide, united we stand, divided we fall”. In 2021 Billboard ranked the song among the 100 greatest songs in the history of the Hot 100.

The album of the same name reached No. 9 and went double platinum; it also included “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)”, which climbed to No. 5. In all, Coolio received six Grammy nominations.

Stage, television and film

In 1996 he recorded “Aw, Here It Goes!”, the theme of the Nickelodeon series “Kenan & Kel”. His album “My Soul” followed in August 1997 and went gold; its single “C U When U Get There” was built on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D and reached the US top 20. He voiced a character on “Futurama” and appeared in “Batman & Robin”. In November 2002 he performed for the soldiers of Task Force Eagle. In 2008 a reality series followed his everyday life as a father. His last album was released in 2009.

Family

From 1996 to 2000 Coolio was married to Josefa Salinas; the couple had four children together.

Farewell

Coolio died on 28 September 2022 in Los Angeles, aged 59. His management said:

“He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly.”

Ice Cube recalled that he had witnessed Coolio's rise to the top of the industry first hand.