b. Artis Ivey, 1 August 1963, Compton,
Los Angeles, California, USA. Boasting a long,
though infrequently recorded, career in hip-hop,
rapper Coolio's career finally took off after
attending rehabilitation classes in an attempt to
kick his cocaine habit. Coolio started making music
again with WC And The MADD Circle, contributing to
their 1991 release, Ain't A Damn Thang Changed (he
would also perform on one track on their belated
follow-up, 1995's Curb Servin'). He then joined the
40 Thevz, a hip-hop community made up of producers,
rappers and dancers who would collaborate with him
on all his recordings. Along with his friend DJ
Bryan "Wino" Dobbs, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy
Records who released the single "County Line" about
his experiences on welfare assistance. "Fantastic
Voyage", based on Lakeside's 1980 hit, became a Top
5 single, and Coolio's profile was further enhanced
by an autumn tour with R&B megastar R. Kelly.
It Takes A Thief was a major seller, going platinum
and establishing Coolio at the forefront of mid-90s
hip-hop. "Gangsta's Paradise", taken from his
sophomore album of the same name, was a resigned
lament performed with the gospel singer L.V. and a
full choir that sampled Stevie Wonder's "Pastime
Paradise". The single, featured in the movie
Dangerous Minds, went to number 1 in the US and the
UK. In the UK this was the first time anything
approaching true "street rap" had achieved such
sales. As the music business magazine Music Week
commented, "in Britain for such a record to reach
number one is quite sensational". The song won a
Grammy in 1996 for Best Rap Solo Performance. My
Soul, which included the hit single "C U When U Get
There", was another downbeat collection that
confirmed Coolio as one of hip-hop's most
interesting artists. He subsequently set up his own
Crowbar label and concentrated on an acting career. |
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