Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963), known professionally as
Coolio, is an American Grammy Award-winning musician,
rapper, chef, actor, and record producer. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid to late 1990s with his albums
It Takes a Thief (1994),
Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and
My Soul (1997). He is best known for his 1995 Grammy winning hit single "
Gangsta's Paradise", as well as other singles "
Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "
C U When U Get There" (1997) and "
1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996). He was also known for rapping the theme song for the late 1990s
Nickelodeon series
Kenan & Kel. Coolio has since gone on to release albums independently, as well becoming a chef, creating a web series titled
Cookin' with Coolio and releasing a cookbook.