Coolio

Solo Artist

Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Active 1987-2022
Died 2022
Origin Compton, California
Albums 8
Tracks 122
Most frequent collaborator Devon Davis · 25 tracks
Genres West Coast Hip HopGangsta RapG-Funk
Collaborator
59%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 72 of 122 tracks

Did Coolio write his own songs?

Yes, wherever the credits exist. He is credited on 69 of his 122 studio tracks, and 39 of those tracks carry no published writing credit for anybody. On the 83 that name a writer he is on 69, including every track of the 1994 debut It Takes a Thief.

By the Numbers

8
Studio Albums
122
Tracks Credited
59%
Self-Written
4.8 million
Records Sold
35
Years Active
245
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 72 / 122 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 122 tracks: how many Coolio wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Coolio has a writing credit59%
7%
52%
41%
Sole author8tracks7%
Co-written64tracks52%
Outside writers50tracks41%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Coolio's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 122 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)59%
Composer (music)38%
Producer31%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Coolio's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 59%
100%
94%
100%
0%
0%
0%
100%
100%
1994It Takes a Thief
1995Gangsta's Paradise
1997My Soul
2001Coolio.com
2002El Cool Magnifico
2006The Return of the Gangsta
2008Steal Hear
2009From the Bottom 2 the Top
Early · 98% written
Mid · 0% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

98%
1990s
It Takes a Thief, Gangsta's Paradise +1 more
67%
2000s
Coolio.com, El Cool Magnifico +3 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Coolio sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Coolio
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Tim McGraw2%
Ricky Martin25%
Marc Anthony37%
Kylie Minogue46%
TLC59%
Rick Astley73%
Ice Cube98%
59%Coolio
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Fantastic Voyage
It Takes a Thief
Written by Coolio, Bryan Dobbs, Fred Alexander, Norman Beavers, Marvin Craig, Tiemeyer McCain, Thomas Shelby, Stephen Shockley, Otis Stokes, Mark Adam Woods, Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
Co-wrote
Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise
Written by Coolio, L.V., Doug Rasheed, Stevie Wonder, Artis Leon Ivey Jr., Larry Sanders, Stevland Morris
Co-wrote
Too Hot
Gangsta's Paradise
Written by Coolio, Bryan Dobbs, George Brown, Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
Co-wrote
C U When U Get There
My Soul
Written by Coolio, Dominic Aldridge, Malieek Straughter, Artis Leon Ivey Jr.
Co-wrote

Discography 8 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of CoolioCoolio122 tracks
DD25Devon Davis, 25 tracks KB24Kenneth Blue, 24 tracks BD22Bryan Dobbs, 22 tracks BT21Black Thompson, 21 tracks MM21Mac Mozart, 21 tracks P21Polarbear, 21 tracks SF21Sergio Fertitta, 21 tracks PC20Peter Catera, 20 tracks RL20Rob Lowe, 20 tracks BF19Big Fish, 19 tracks VC18Vic C., 18 tracks PS16Paul Stewart, 16 tracks RC16Rashad Coles(Coes, 16 tracks BB16Billy Boy, 16 tracks CT16Crazy Toones, 16 tracks CC16CS Coleman, 16 tracks VC15Vic. C, 15 tracks JJ15Jamie James, 15 tracks EP15Executive producer, 15 tracks P15Pallaz, 15 tracks DA8Dominic Aldridge, 8 tracks MD8Mr. Dominique De Romeo, 8 tracks OP6Oji Pierce, 6 tracks V6Vic, 6 tracks DD6Disco D, 6 tracks GL6Gangsta Lu, 6 tracks A5A.I., 5 tracks MS4Malieek Straughter, 4 tracks JC4James Carter, 4 tracks B"4Bryan "Wino" Dobbs, 4 tracks G4Goast, 4 tracks EC4Enrico Caruso, 4 tracks DN4DJ Nais, 4 tracks S"3Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones, 3 tracks C"3Clint "Payback" Sands, 3 tracks L3L.V., 3 tracks MB3Marika Bradford, 3 tracks HS3Henry Straughter, 3 tracks RK3Ras Kass, 3 tracks DI3DJ I-Roc, 3 tracks AW3Alene Wilson, 3 tracks 4T340 Thevz, 3 tracks VC3Victor Concepcion, 3 tracks MJ3Microphone Jones, 3 tracks VC3Vic Conception, 3 tracks A"3A. "Pallaz" Pallas, 3 tracks M"3Massimiliano "Big Fish" Dagani, 3 tracks BB3Blair Bryson, 3 tracks MD3Massimiliano Dagani, 3 tracks AJ2Allen Jones, 2 tracks CA2Charles Allen, 2 tracks EF2Ed Fletcher, 2 tracks FT2Frank Thompson, 2 tracks HH2Harvey Henderson, 2 tracks JA2James Alexander, 2 tracks LD2Larry Dodson, 2 tracks LS2Lloyd Smith, 2 tracks MB2Mark Bynum, 2 tracks MM2Melle Mel, 2 tracks SG2Sherman Guy, 2 tracks SR2Sylvia Robinson, 2 tracks WS2Winston Stewart, 2 tracks CJ2Chris Jasper, 2 tracks EI2Ernie Isley, 2 tracks OI2O'Kelly Isley Jr., 2 tracks RI2Ronald Isley, 2 tracks RI2Rudolph Isley, 2 tracks WC2William Calhoun, 2 tracks KG2Kenneth Gamble, 2 tracks LH2Leon Huff, 2 tracks CH2Christopher Hamabe, 2 tracks ES2Ernest Straughter, 2 tracks GF2Glenn Frey, 2 tracks on Eagles's page RH2Rodney Hunter, 2 tracks TS2Thomas Schmidt, 2 tracks DT2DJ Tomekk, 2 tracks B"2Brian "Wino" Dobbs, 2 tracks DD2Daz Dillinger, 2 tracks S2Spade, 2 tracks DD2Dion Davis, 2 tracks BW2Brian Wino Dobbs, 2 tracks B2B-Real, 2 tracks on Cypress Hill's page SD2Snoop Dogg, 2 tracks K2K-La, 2 tracks R2RobLo, 2 tracks BO2Black Orchid, 2 tracks AI2Artis Ivey III, 2 tracks MM2Michael Merrel Simmons, 2 tracks LP2Luca Porzio, 2 tracks FA1Fred Alexander, 1 track NB1Norman Beavers, 1 track MC1Marvin Craig, 1 track TM1Tiemeyer McCain, 1 track TS1Thomas Shelby, 1 track SS1Stephen Shockley, 1 track OS1Otis Stokes, 1 track MA1Mark Adam Woods, 1 track CC1Clifton Chase, 1 track MB1Michael Beard, 1 track MI1Marvin Isley, 1 track RA1Roy Ayers, 1 track L1LeShaun, 1 track JW1Junior Walker, 1 track FP1Freddie Perren, 1 track WW1Willie Woods, 1 track AD1Autry DeWalt, 1 track JP1Junior P., 1 track AF1Allan Felder, 1 track TC1Talmadge Conway, 1 track W1WC, 1 track RM1Ralph MacDonald, 1 track FW1Frank Wilson, 1 track JN1James Nyx Jr., 1 track KW1Kathleen Wakefield, 1 track MG1Marvin Gaye, 1 track KW1Kathy Wakefield, 1 track C"1Clifton "Jiggs" Chase, 1 track P1PS, 1 track KG1Ken Gold, 1 track MD1Michael Denne, 1 track AG1Al Green, 1 track WM1Willie Mitchell, 1 track J1J-Ro, 1 track JA1Johnta Austin, 1 track DR1Doug Rasheed, 1 track SW1Stevie Wonder, 1 track LS1Larry Sanders, 1 track SM1Stevland Morris, 1 track GB1George Brown, 1 track MT1Marvin Tarplin, 1 track SR1Smokey Robinson, 1 track ES1Earl Stevens, 1 track JW1Jay Williams, 1 track MT1Maurice Thompson, 1 track AS1Adrian Sear, 1 track DG1Dave Grusin, 1 track SB1Sekou Bunch, 1 track TB1Tom Browne, 1 track TS1Toni Smith, 1 track RC1Reece Carter, 1 track SS1Sly Stone, 1 track JW1J.B. Weaver, Jr., 1 track DT1Danny Taylor, 1 track CG1Cary Gilbert, 1 track C"1Clyde "Spoony" Colen, 1 track AB1Artie Butler, 1 track JG1Jerry Goldstein, 1 track BM1Bennie Maupin, 1 track HH1Herbie Hancock, 1 track LP1Letice Petty, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 240. DD Devon Davis · KB Kenneth Blue · BD Bryan Dobbs · BT Black Thompson · MM Mac Mozart · P Polarbear

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Coolio is credited on 69 of his 122 studio tracks. The gap is documentation rather than authorship: 39 tracks carry no published writing credit at all, almost all of them on three albums from the 2000s whose credits were never printed properly. On the 83 tracks where somebody is named, he is on 69 of them, and on the debut he is on all 16. Bryan Dobbs and Dominic Aldridge are the two names that recur.

Quick Facts

  • Self-writtenCredited on 69 of his 122 studio tracks
  • Undocumented39 tracks carry no published writing credit at all
  • The debutHis name is on all 16 tracks of It Takes a Thief
  • Career sales4.8 million albums in the United States
  • Biggest song"Gangsta's Paradise" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks
  • GrammysOne award from six nominations

Creative Fingerprint

A writer on everything he was ever credited for, on records that mostly stopped printing credits.

The Story

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania and moved to Compton at eight. He rapped with WC and the Maad Circle before signing to Tommy Boy in 1994. "Gangsta's Paradise" made him briefly the biggest rapper in the world, and he kept releasing albums on smaller and smaller labels until his death in 2022.

Awards & Recognition

Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, "Gangsta's Paradise" (1996)
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video, "Gangsta's Paradise"
MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film, "Gangsta's Paradise"
American Music Award, one award from two nominations

Frequently Asked Questions Coolio

Did Coolio write his own songs?
Yes, wherever the credits exist. He is credited on 69 of his 122 studio tracks, and 39 of those tracks carry no published writing credit for anybody. On the 83 that name a writer he is on 69, including every track of the 1994 debut It Takes a Thief.
Who wrote "Gangsta's Paradise"?
Artis Ivey Jr., Larry Sanders, Doug Rasheed and Stevie Wonder. Wonder is credited because the song is built on his "Pastime Paradise", and Larry Sanders is L.V., who sings the chorus. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and won Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards.
Who wrote "Fantastic Voyage"?
Coolio with the writers of the Lakeside song it samples, among them Fred Alexander, Norman Beavers and Otis Stokes. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
How many albums did Coolio release?
Eight studio albums: It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), My Soul (1997), Coolio.com (2001), El Cool Magnifico (2002), The Return of the Gangsta (2006), Steal Hear (2008) and From the Bottom 2 the Top (2009).
Why do three albums have so few credits?
Coolio.com, El Cool Magnifico and The Return of the Gangsta came out on small labels that never printed a full writer list. The Return of the Gangsta's article has a writer column with every field blank, and the Discogs releases for the other two name the writers of the record as a whole instead of track by track.
How many records did he sell?
4.8 million albums in the United States. Gangsta's Paradise is certified 2x platinum, It Takes a Thief platinum and My Soul gold.
Did he win a Grammy?
One, for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Gangsta's Paradise" in 1996. He received one award from six nominations at the Grammys.
Who did he write with most?
Dominic Aldridge on eight tracks and Bryan Dobbs on seven. Dobbs, who produced as Dobbs the Wino, goes back to the debut.
Was he in a group before going solo?
Yes, WC and the Maad Circle. He signed to Tommy Boy Records as a solo artist in 1994.
When did he die?
28 September 2022, in Los Angeles, at 59.

Sources

Wikipedia: Coolio Wikipedia: Coolio discography