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One of the true trailblazers in the on the early West Coast rap scene, Coolio set the stage for all the hip hop artists that would follow with innovative sampling, playfulness and an interesting visual legacy. Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was born in Compton, California on August 1, 1963. He was given his nickname by friends who compared him to Julio Iglesias. Initially hampered by run ins with the law and a cocaine addiction, Coolie found solace in rap. He recorded his debut album, It Takes a Thief in 1994. The album took off when "Fantastic Voyage," a rap remake of the f Continued...

unk classic by Lakeside, was released as a single. Accompanied by a typically playful video, "Fantastic Voyage" leapt to number three on the pop charts, pushing It Takes a Thief into the Top Ten and past the platinum sales mark. Many critics and listeners welcomed this friendlier, gentler approach to the gangsta-dominated West Coast sound, in spite of the fact that some of his album cuts tackled hardcore themes in a similarly profane manner.
Coolio’s next big breakthrough came with the ghetto-centric rap song, “Gangsta’s in Paradise,” which was featured on the album of the same name, and gave Coolio his first #1 hit on the pop charts. “Gangsta’s Paradise” was so ubiquitous it was even parodied by Weird Al Yankovic in “Amish Paradise. The album itself, which went triple platinum, also contained such other hit Coolio songs as the bright party anthem "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)” and the safe-sex anthem "Too Hot." “ In the late 90s, Coolio’s star began to fade, however, as the rap landscape changed dramatically and stars like Puff Daddy came to the fore, stealing Coolio’s audience. Compounding his difficulties, the rap star also had several more arrests for petty crimes and other legal troubles. Following this, he enjoyed a resurgence by appearing on a host of television programs including Celebrity Fear Factor, where he referred to himself as "El Cool Magnifico" (which would become the title of his fourth studio album). Coolio may not be on the cutting edge of rap as he once was, but he will always have a special place in that genre’s history.