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    Coolio
Born Artis Ivey, Jr., Coolio may hail from the same Southern California “Gangsta’s Paradise” as such contemporaries as Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, but he’s always seemed less angry and more ready for a good time than his “Straight Outta Compton” neighbors. That’s probably a big reason why he’s had so much commercial success, as his upbeat and extremely danceable tracks have proven as accessible to pop radio as they are to true hip hop fans.

Another explanation for Coolio’s phenomenal mainstream success may be his squeaky-clean image. Despite admissions that he was a drug addict and a 1999 arrest for an illegal weapons charge, the general public still sees Coolio as a fun-loving family man (he has seven children), and seems impressed that the man behind “Gangsta’s Paradise” was never a G himself. He even appeared in a recent campaign for Disney, a company that’s notoriously picky about whom they’ll associate themselves with. Amazingly, he’s been able to do all of this without losing his street cred; unlike such predecessors as MC Hammer, who was widely dissed after finding commercial success.

Bursting onto the scene with 1994’s It Takes a Thief, Coolio immediately found an audience with the smash “Fantastic Voyage,” a Top-5 hit that copped the groove of the disco-era hit of the same name. “Voyage” was the feel-good hit of the summer, largely thanks to a clever video that depicted Coolio and friends piling into a convertible to hit the beach. This success was only a harbinger of the explosion to come. In 1995, “Gangsta’s Paradise” was chosen as the theme for the Michelle Pfeiffer film, Dangerous Minds. Film and song seemed to play off each other, each building on the other’s success. A compelling video that featured Coolio rapping directly at Pfeiffer didn’t hurt, and “Gangsta’s Paradise” ended the year as the top single of 1995.

The following album, also titled Gangsta’s Paradise, was also a smash, spawning hits like “Too Hot” and “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New).” While 1997’s follow-up, My Soul, was not as successful, it spawned the hit “C U When You Get There,” and Coolio stayed in the spotlight through collaborations with Blondie and appearances in such films as Phat Beach and Batman & Robin. Recently signed to Los Angeles-based Allied Artists Records, he plans a new album this year, which is rumored to feature a collaboration with Kenny Rogers (on a cover of the country crooner’s hit “The Gambler”).
   
Coolio Par-lay 2001 MP3,WinMedia Rap/Hip Hop
Par-lay vous funky? Let Coolio school ya for the Y2-G+1, on his new MUSICBLITZ Exclusive, "Par-lay 2001"!


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