Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963), better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor, and record producer. He is best known for the song "Gangsta's Paradise".

He recorded two singles in the late 1980s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me". Neither single was successful, but Coolio had made connections in the Los Angeles rap scene, and ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. WC was the group's lead rapper, but Coolio was another rapper in the group. He had a few verses on the group's debut album, Ain't a Damn Thang Changed , including on the single "Dress Code". The album was regionally successful, but did not make much impact on a national scale.