Coolio, the multi-talented Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum selling artist, composer and actor, is one of the most popular and successful rappers worldwide. To date, Coolio has sold over 18 million records globally.
Coolio won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Rap Performance, Solo, for his international hit single, GANGSTA’S PARADISE, which was also featured on the DANGEROUS MINDS soundtrack. The song, also nominated for a Grammy for Best Song of the Year, has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and was Billboard Magazine’s Number #1 single of 1995.
Coolio has also won an American Music Award, 3 MTV Awards, 2 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and a World Music Award. He has received 6 Grammy Award nominations (1994, 1995, 1996), 2 Billboard Music Awards (1994,1996), 2 ASCAP Awards (1996,1997), 3 MTV Video Awards (1996,1997), 4 American Online Awards (1996), and was the Playboy Music Poll Winner in 1997.
His gold single C U WHEN U GET THERE, released on his third gold album, MY SOUL, was featured on the NOTHING TO LOSE gold soundtrack. Using a choir, violins and a 280 year old piece of music (Pachebel’s Canon in D), Coolio created a remarkable song that is both painfully melancholy and beautifully optimistic.
Coolio has successfully made the transition from performer to actor and enjoys balancing both professions. He has appeared in the features BATMAN & ROBIN, DEAR GOD, PHAT BEACH, PATRICE JONES, THE BIG PAYBACK. Coolio has a starring role in the upcoming movie TYRONE, playing 3 siblings-Tyrone, Jerome, and their sister Sherone. Coolio recently co-starred in the feature films PERFUME with Paul Sorvino, Omar Epps, Jeff Goldbloom, and Carmen Electric and IN PURSUIT, with Daniel Baldwin and Claudia Schiffer and he has cameo appearances in LEPRECHAUN IN THE HOOD, GETTING OVER ALICE and JUDGEMENT DAY.
A native of Compton, California, Coolio was born Artis Ivey, Jr. He worked for a year and a half as a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry to help overcome drug addiction, then returned to the Los Angeles rap scene and began his sensational composing, recording and producing career. Coolio resides in Los Angeles with his wife and children. In his spare time he is an avid snow boarder, golfer and video game master.
