Artis Leon Ivey Jr., better known as Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor and producer Coolio, may have been born in Pennsylvania, but throughout his career, he always claimed Compton as his home turf.

On this day in 1995, Coolio was joined onstage by Stevie Wonder at the Billboard Music Awards to perform “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which also won Single Of The Year. The song famously reworks Wonder’s ...

This story is part of our new Hip-Hop: ’73 Till Infinity series, a celebration of the genre’s 50th anniversary.With the unfortunate death of beloved rapper Coolio, hip-hop lovers have been mourning ...

If a rapper were only to be known for one song, it’s hard to beat “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Coolio’s signature No. 1 smash in 1995 was voted the best single of the year in the Village Voice’s “Pazz & Jop” ...

For fans and critics who intellectualize it, gangsta rap, or “reality rap,” is serious business. For them, the defining genre of West Coast hip-hop represents true stories from the ’hood as told by ...

When Coolio first heard the demo that became Gangsta's Paradise, he had the same reaction as the rest of us. "I was like, 'Damn, I really like this song.'" The Pennsylvania-born, Compton-raised rapper ...

2022 has been a breakout year for both Latto and GloRilla. Latto released her sophomore album 777 in March and became a household name with her smash hit “Big Energy,” reaching No. 3 on the Billboard ...