Artis Leon Ivey Jr.

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania, and moved to Compton, California, as a child. He worked as a volunteer firefighter and airport security guard while recording in the Los Angeles underground hip-hop scene, debuting on Tommy Boy Records with his 1994 funk-rap smash "Fantastic Voyage."

In 1995, Coolio recorded "Gangsta's Paradise" featuring L. V. for the soundtrack of the film Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Built on a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise," the track became an unprecedented international phenomenon, reaching number one in over fifteen countries, becoming Billboard's number-one single of 1995, and winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Coolio also recorded "Aw, Here It Goes," the iconic theme song for Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel, and became a beloved pop-culture television personality and author of the cookbook Cookin' with Coolio.