Lil E And Coolio Join HIV Testing

West coast rappers Lil E (formerly Lil Eazy-E) and Coolio are pitching in with National HIV Testing Day. Both artists will be appearing on Friday June 27 at The Los Angeles Sentinel headquarters on Crenshaw Boulevard to raise awareness in the community on the value of testing.

The group, joined by other celebrities and civic leaders, is asking for one million people to get tested by December 1, 2008. Resources and information will be provided.

Iconic rapper Eazy-E, father to Lil E, died as a result of complications from AIDS in 1995. Coolio has been an advocate on testing for over a decade. In 1996, he recorded "I Breaks 'Em Off" from the acclaimed compilation, America Is Dying Slowly, made exclusively by Hip Hop artists.

Coolio Arrested on Outstanding Traffic Warrant

Grammy Award winning rapper Coolio was arrested today on an outstanding traffic warrant, the LA Times reports.

The arrest occurred at 1:00 a.m. in Hollywood, near the corners of Sunset Boulevard and Sweetzer Avenue. Coolio, real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was pulled over on a routine traffic stop due to expired tags on his 1996 Hummer. It was then discovered that the rapper had an outstanding misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license. He was released at 6:40 a.m. after posting a $10, 000 bond.

Coolio began his career as a member of WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. After leaving on amicable terms, he found immediate success with his 1994 platinum debut It Takes a Thief, which spawned the hit single “Fantastic Voyage.” Coolio achieved his biggest success with the 1995 follow-up Gangsta’s Paradise, which reached 4X platinum. The album found crossover success after the title track was prominently featured in the Michelle Pfeiffer drama “Dangerous Minds.”

Coolio is tentatively scheduled to release a new album this year titled Steal Hear.

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