As artists pay tribute to Coolio, the rapper’s impact on music is recognized

Musicians and entertainers are paying tribute to rapper Coolio, who died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 59.

Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., Coolio was best known for his megahit “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was used in the 1995 film “Dangerous Minds,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer. The song earned the artist a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996. He also had hits with “Fantastic Voyage” and “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “It’s All the Way Live (Now).”

Among those who remembered Coolio on social media were “Weird Al” Yankovic, who was involved in a feud with the rapper when he released the song “Amish Paradise.” They later mended fences. Ice Cube, Questlove, Debbie Harry, Martin Lawrence and M.C. Hammer also paid tribute to the Compton-raised musician.

As the hip-hop community reflects on his music and impact, Chuck Creekmur, CEO of AllHipHop.com, said Coolio was more than just a rapper: he was one of the griots of hip-hop who shared the harsh realities of his community. 

“If you listen to the lyrics, it’s not glorifying the [gangster] life but it’s actually someone that’s really working their way out of it — or at least trying to explain their point of view,” he said. “And so it resonated with so many people.”

Creekmur said Coolio’s Grammy win came during a time “when rap wasn’t really respected as art.” Coolio also showed other artists there was a “pathway to do music that’s adjacent to gangster rap,” he said. 

While Coolio accomplished much in his career as a musician, winning an American Music Award and multiple MTV Video Music Awards aside from his Grammy, Creekmur said the rapper was often underappreciated as an artist. 

“I think that in music generally, in hip-hop specifically, far too often we use up artists and we spit them out,” he said. “And I think that once you’re spit out, you’re left in the wilderness to fend for yourself.”

Creekmur said Coolio found ways to stay relevant as a creative by journeying into television. He created the theme song for “Kenan and Kel,” appearing in the show’s intro, and also starred in “Cooking with Coolio” and “Coolio’s Rules.” Coolio also made appearances on the big screen in the 1997 movie “Batman & Robin” and Dracula 3000 in 2004, among others. Coolio’s singular style, like his signature stand-up braids, was one of his many traits that made him unique. Creekmur also said Coolio spoke intelligently about his artistry and created music that had truth.

“He spoke about things like HIV and the ramifications behind promiscuity,” Creekmur said.

As for Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” released over 25 years ago, Creekmur said it remains a treasure in the hip-hop community.

“We’re going to be listening to ‘Gangster’s Paradise’ forever,” Creekmur said. “There’s no questioning that.”