1. Coolio�s real name is Artis Leon Ivey, Jr, and he was born on 1 August, 1963, in Compton, California. He is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who rose to fame in 1995 with the hit single "Gangsta's Paradise." He got his stage name after he was called "Coolio Iglesias" (alluding to Julio Iglesias) when he performed in a school singing competition.