Coolio Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Coolio is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and chef, who gained immediate fame due to his Gangsta’s Paradise single, that won a Grammy Award for “Best Solo Rap Performance” in 1996. The song picked up even more attention of the audience when it was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Dangerous Minds starring . He has used his own life experience and struggles with drug addiction to write and release famous singles such as Fantastic Voyage (1994) which reached the 3rd spot on the Billboard Top 100 list, as well as 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New) in 1996, and C U When U Get There in 1997. He released a few other less-successful albums from 2001 to 2008 after being dropped from his first record label, Tommy Boy Records. Since then, Coolio turned his career in another direction – acting in movies, TV series, reality TV shows, as well as voice acting.

Born Name

Artis Leon Ivey Jr.

Nick Name

El Cool Magnifico, Coolio

Sun Sign

Leo

Born Place

Compton, California, United States

Residence

Compton, California, United States

Nationality

Education

After he graduated high school, Coolio went to Compton Community College.

Occupation

Rapper, Actor, Chef, Record Producer

Family

• Father – Artis Leon Ivey Sr. (Carpenter)
• Mother – Jackie Slater (Factory Worker)

Manager

Coolio is represented by J Star Entertainment (JSE).

Genre

Hip-hop, Gangsta rap, West Coast hip-hop, G-funk

Instruments

Vocals

Labels

• Tommy Boy Records
• Warner Bros.

Build

Average

Height

5 ft 8 in or 173 cm

Weight

80 kg or 176.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Coolio has dated –

1. Adina Howard – Coolio was dating the singer, Adina Howard, early on in his career.
2. Josefa Salinas (1987-2000) – Coolio and Josefa Salinas started dating in 1987, and their dating life lasted for about 9 years until May 18, 1996, when they got married. Unfortunately, the marriage went on for 3 years only, because they got divorced in 2000. They have 4 children as a result of their marriage –  Artisha Ivey (b. January 14, 1988), Brandi Ivey (b. April 19, 1988), Artis Ivey (b. September 28, 1989), and Jackie Ivey (b. January 26, 1993).
3. Nora Amile (2007) – It is rumored that the two had an encounter in 2007, but broke up the same year.
4. Coolio has other children with women who aren’t publicly known – sons Artis Ivey III, Grtis Ivey, Darius Ivey, and Milan Ivey, as well as daughters Zhaneand Ivey, Shayne Ivey, and Kate Ivey.

Race / Ethnicity

Black

Coolio has African-American ancestry.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Braids that resemble antennae
• Often wears hats

Brand Endorsements

Coolio has appeared in commercials such as –

• Verizon Wireless phone service (2003)
• The Best Rap Album in the World…Ever!
• Mike’s Hard Lemonade

He has supported charities such as –

• Music Saves Lives
• Environmental Justice and Climate Change
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Religion

He believes in God, but not in any organized religion.

Best Known For

• His Grammy Award-winning single Gangsta’s Paradise in 1995
• His singles Fantastic Voyage (1994) and When U Get There (1997)
• Featuring in the theme song for Kenan & Kel series on Nickelodeon
• Starring in the web series Cookin’ with Coolio
• Being a part of WC and the Maad Circle rap group

First Album

His debut solo album titled It Takes a Thief was released in 1994, where singles Fantastic Voyage, County Line, and I Remember came from.

First Film

He made his theatrical film debut as himself in Phat Beach in 1996.

First TV Show

Coolio made his TV show debut as himself on All That in February 1995.

Coolio Favorite Things

• Interest – Collecting snow domes
• Cars – Lexus, Nissan Infiniti
• Artist – Peter Kitchell
• Rappers – , ,
• Quote – “People learn better when they’re entertained. Cooking isn’t just for the starched-stiff elite. Everyone should know how to cook something.”

Source –

Coolio Facts

1. He has collaborated with rappers such as , , and.
2. Coolio reworked a country music classic, ‘s The Gambler. Even though Kenny himself collaborated on the project, the song was only released on the Japanese-oriented album Coolio.com and wasn’t a massive hit.
3. His crack addiction nearly took his life.
4. Coolio’s childhood was surrounded by books as the library was very close to the home he lived with his sister as a kid. He claimed that he read every kid’s book that was in the library and even Judy Blume’s books that talk about female adolescence.
5. His mother died of a stroke.
6. He had a white German shepherd dog named Fernix.
7. The single Fantastic Voyage was loved by the white audience, even though he was known for releasing songs and lyrics that cater to African-Americans and drug problems. When he thought he was losing touch, he collaborated with a rapper LeShaun and released the song, Mama I’m in Love With a Gangsta in 1994 that was much grittier and serious.
8. He received the nickname when he was studying at Compton Community College. It was initially Coolio Iglesias, but he shortened it later on.
9. Coolio has a few notable guest appearances in music videos such as Blondie’s Rapture/Maria/No Exit, Tupac Shakur’s Temptation, and Squeezer’s Hot Bikini.
10. He has a known movie career as he appeared in Batman and Robin, Judgement Day and many other movies.
11. Coolio was a volunteer firefighter after his college education ended.
12. During the tour for the hip-hop duo named Insane Clow Posse, Coolio had gotten a tattoo that reads Jugalo Cool. The misspelling was intentional, and the tattoo is dedicated to his fanbase.
13. He had asthma since he was a kid and his children are asthma sufferers as well, which is the reason that he supports Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
14. His appearances in TV shows were met with a lot of audience interest. Coolio appeared in Celebrity Fear Factor, Celebrity Paranormal Project, Celebrity Wife Swap, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, as well as Celebrity Big Brother.
15. He admitted that during the TV show Celebrity Wife Swap, his long-time girlfriend was actually only his good friend and that the show was set up from the get-go. It didn’t take long after the show ended for the news of their breakup to surface in the media.
16. Producers of the famous cartoon TV series, Futurama, invited him to guest star in one of the episodes named A Tale of Two Santas. He had given his voice to Kwanzaa-bot and was praised for his voice-acting abilities and even given suggestions that he could have a career in it.
17. On September 17, 2016, Coolio was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport. The reason for that was a concealed, loaded firearm inside a bag that he and his bodyguards tried to get through a security checkpoint without reporting. One of his bodyguards admitted it was his, but some rumors say the gun was Coolio’s. His punishment was 3-year probation and 45 days of community service.
18. Coolio owns a management company named Crowbar Management, as well as a hair salon named Whoop-De-Doo located in Long Beach, California, United States.
19. He had a single named Gangsta Walk that he recorded with .
20. Visit his official website @ www.coolioworld.com
21. Follow him on , , , , , and .

Featured Image by Coolio / Instagram