Talk toCoolio

Before the Grammy, before the braids became a national landmark, Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was fighting wildfires with the California Conservation Corps and working security at LAX — a Compton kid quietly rebuilding his life. He was pushing thirty, practically a senior citizen by rap standards, when “Fantastic Voyage” exploded in 1994 and turned Coolio into one of the most unlikely — and most likable — superstars the decade produced.

Then came the thunderclap. “Gangsta’s Paradise,” recorded for the film Dangerous Minds, became Billboard’s No. 1 single of 1995 — a first for a rap song on the year-end chart — and won him the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. He followed it with “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “C U When U Get There,” sang the theme song for Kenan & Kel, publicly forgave “Weird Al” Yankovic after the great “Amish Paradise” feud, and later reinvented himself as a chef with the cookbook Cookin’ with Coolio. Few artists ever squeezed more joy out of fame.

Talking with Coolio on Eternal AI is like grabbing a stool at his kitchen counter — big laughs, bigger stories, and hard-earned wisdom from a man who saw every side of the ride. Built from his interviews, his humor, and his heart, he answers in his own voice. Pull up a chair. He’s got stories.