Editing Coolio (section)

==Early life==
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born on August 1, 1963, in [[South Los Angeles|South Central Los Angeles]], [[California]].{{efn|Some sources say [[Monessen, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=varietyobit>{{Cite news |last=Shafer |first=Ellise |title=Coolio, Grammy-Winning 'Gangsta's Paradise' Rapper, Dies at 59 |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/coolio-dead-dies-gangstas-paradise-rapper-1235387456/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929023422/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/coolio-dead-dies-gangstas-paradise-rapper-1235387456/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 29, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=nbcobit>{{Cite news |last1=Dasrath |first1=Diana |last2=Helsel |first2=Phil |date=September 28, 2022 |title=Rapper Coolio dead at 59 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/rapper-coolio-dead-59-rcna49916 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929020209/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/rapper-coolio-dead-59-rcna49916 |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |access-date=September 29, 2022 | work=[[NBC News]] |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Monessen native Coolio, "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper, dead at 59| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/monessen-coolio-gangstas-paradise-rapper-dead-at-59/ | agency=[[Associated Press]] | work=[[CBS News]] |date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001204723/https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/monessen-coolio-gangstas-paradise-rapper-dead-at-59/ |archive-date=October 1, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>}} His mother was a factory worker who divorced his father, who was a carpenter, and they moved to [[Compton, California|Compton]] when Ivey was eight years old.<ref name=kemp>{{cite magazine |last=Kemp |first=Mark |title=Coolio: Paradise Found |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/coolio-paradise-found-166220/2/ |access-date=October 9, 2022 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 14, 1995}}</ref> Ivey was severely [[asthmatic]] and, as a child, he was taken to the hospital several times due to asthma complications. He was a regular visitor to his local library as a boy. He often played board games with his mother.<ref name=nytobit/> He started rapping as a teenager, earning the nickname Coolio Iglesias due to his slick performances, a takeoff of Spanish singer [[Julio Iglesias]]; the nickname was later shortened to Coolio.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/30/coolio-obituary |title=Coolio obituary | first=Peter | last=Mason | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=September 30, 2022}}</ref> He was arrested for taking a weapon to school and served prison time for [[larceny]].<ref name=course>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Mark |title=How Gangsta's Paradise changed the course of hip-hop |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63074469 |access-date=October 9, 2022 | work=[[BBC News]] |date=September 29, 2022}}</ref> As Compton went into decline in the 1980s, he became addicted to [[crack cocaine]], but quit drugs after spending time living with his father in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], crediting [[Christianity]] for helping him get over his addiction.<ref name=nytobit/> There, he worked for the [[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]].<ref name=nytobit/><ref name=kemp/> Coolio attended [[Compton Community College]] then worked in a [[volunteer fire department]] and security at [[Los Angeles International Airport]], before becoming a rapper.<ref name="Allmusic" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Sweet |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Sweet (writer) |date=August 23, 1997 |title=Golfa's Paradise; Interview: Coolio |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golfas-paradise-interview-coolio-1247021.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813091014/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/golfas-paradise-interview-coolio-1247021.html |archive-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref>