Coolio
Coolio ( born August 1, 1963 in Monessen, Pennsylvania Artis Leon Ivey Jr. as ) is an American rapper and actor.
Life
Ivey started very early with the hip -hop scene in touch. After he had reached his high school graduation, he joined the hip- hop group of WC, WC & The Maad Circle, and initially joined on in the background. He says that he chose the stage name Coolio, after he had asked a passerby while practicing on the street, because if he was imagining it to be Julio Iglesias. His friends took this remark as a joke and called him henceforth Coolio. In 1994, he split from the group to record his first solo album, It Takes a Thief. The songs Fantastic Voyage, I Remember Mama and I'm in Love were released with a gangster as singles from the album. The biggest chart success brought him up to that Fantastic Voyage. I Remember was the soundtrack of Beavis and Butt- Head.
In 1995 he released his most successful album Gangsta's Paradise on the market, which sold over 4 million times. The single of the same received a Grammy in 1996 and landed in some European countries, including Germany No. 1 on the charts. The song is also the official soundtrack for the film Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer. For the music of Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise single of his album songs was selected in the Key of Life.
My Soul, Coolio's third album, followed in 1997 with the successful single release CU When U Get There, based on the Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel.
After a five - year hiatus followed the unsuccessful album El Cool Magnifico 2002. 2006 saw The Return of the Gangsta, on which he was supported by Snoop Dogg. In addition occurred on young German rapper. Gangsta Lu took over in 4 part of the song. Ladie K- la was also heard on the track and Ladie Gangsta. Kay Kay Master and Mad Rob had on the track dip it in each case a part and the band Brasa were performed at Do it.
As an actor Coolio was among others in the series Space 2063 (1996), Early Edition (1999), The Nanny (1998), and films Batman & Robin ( 1997), The Hollywood Hell (1997), Mike Mendez's Convent (2000), Daredevil (2003, Director's Cut), Dracula.3000 (2004) and shriek - scream when you know, last Friday, have done 13 to see (2000) what I do.
In 2004 he participated in the ProSieben show comeback - The big opportunity part in which he finished third, behind Chris Norman, who won the final, and Benjamin Boyce.
Discography
Albums
- 2001: Fantastic Voyage - Greatest Hits
- 2002: El Cool Magnifico
- 2004: Comeback United - Greatest Hits
- 2008: Steal Hear
- 2009: From the Bottom 2 the Top