Coolio (born Artis Leon Ivey, Jr. on August 1, 1963 in Compton, California) is an American rapper and actor whose G-Funk sounding beats and funky flow make listening very pleasant. Coolio started his career as a member of the rap group,
WC and the Maad Circle. In 1994, Coolio released his debut album
It Takes a Thief which featured the hugely successful singles,
Fantastic Voyage and
It Takes a Thief.