Coolio: Musician behind one of the most popular rap hits of all time
msn.comDangerous Minds. Coolio, who has died aged 59, made playful, melodic and popular music, in contrast to many others in the LA hip-hop and rap scene, and had worked hard, succeeding in achieving recognition in a crowded field.
Artis Leon Ivey Jr was born in 1963 in Monessen, Pennsylvania – the son of a carpenter and a factory worker – and grew up in Compton, California.
His nickname began as Coolio Iglesias, after the Spanish singer, Julio, and was soon shortened to simply Coolio. On leaving Compton Community College, Coolio had dabbled with drugs and found work in airport security and as a volunteer firefighter, before discovering his vocation in music.
His first single, “Whatcha Gonna Do?”, was released in 1987 but made little impact. It Takes a Thief (1994) was the first of his albums to gain major recognition, selling over a million copies, with the single “Fantastic Voyage” reaching No 3 in the US singles chart.
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