COOLIO - BIO
COOLIO is the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling rap artist who has also appeared in the features "Batman & Robin," "Dear God," "Patrice Jones," "The Big Payback," in "Phat Beach" as himself. He also did the ABC Movie-of-the-Week, "On The Line." He has a starring role in the upcoming movie Tyrone.
He also guest-starred on the series "Space: Above and Beyond," as appeared as himself in the series "All That," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and has leant his voice to the "Duckman" episode "Coolio Runnings." In addition, he has starred on "Hits." "The Nanny," "Martin," "Politically Incorrect," "Tom Snyder," and the Watcher."
To date, Coolio has sold over 17 million records worldwide. He 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 soundtrack album for "Dangerous Minds." That song, also nominated for a Grammy for best song of the year, has sold over 4 million copies and was Billboard Magazine's number one single of 1995. Coolio has also won an American Music Award, three MTV Awards, two Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and a World Music Award. He has received six Grammy Award nominations (1994, 1995, 1996), two Billboard Music Awards (1994, 1996), two ASCAP Awards (1996, 1997), three MTV Music Video Awards (1996, 1997), four America Online Awards (1996), and was the Playboy Music Poll Winner in 1997.
His gold hit single "C U When U Get There" was featured on the "Nothing to Lose" soundtrack and was also part of his recently released third album, "My Soul." This single was the first in Tommy Boy's history to become gold in South Africa. His first album, the 1994 platinum debut entitled It Takes A Thief, sold over a million copies. It also contained the his single "Fantastic Voyage," a utopian party anthem which was nominated for a Grammy Award, amongst other accolades. His second album, Gangsta's Paradise, sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone, and was a top selling album around the world.
Coolio has also recorded songs for the features "Panther," "New Jersey Drive," "Clueless," "The Big Payback," "The Jerkey Boys," "Half Baked," "Eddie," "Nothing to Lose," and "Space Jam." He has also composed the theme song for the television series "Kenan & Kal," and made guest-starring appearances, performing on every major television variety show.
A native of Compton, California, Coolio was born Artis Ivey, Jr. Coolio worked for a year and a half as a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry, then returned to the Los Angeles rap scene and began his sensational composing, recording, and producing career.