Markoolio

Markoolio
Markoolio in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Marko Kristian Lehtosalo
Born	(1975-01-01) 1 January 1975 (age 42) Lahti, Finland
Origin	Orminge, Sweden
Genres	Hip hop, comedy rap, pop
Years active	1998–present
Website	www.markoolio.com

Marko Kristian "Markoolio" Lehtosalo (born 1 January 1975 in Lahti, Finland) is a Swedish-Finnish multi-platinum selling recording artist, singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and comedian. His stage name Markoolio is a portmanteau on his first name Marko and the stage name of the world-renowned American rapper Coolio.

At the age of six months, Lehtosalo migrated from Finland to Sweden where he grew up completing primary and secondary school in the small Stockholm suburb of Orminge. Following the completion of his compulsory military service as a coastal ranger sniper in Ekenäs, Finland, he returned to Sweden and was discovered when rapping on a commuter train in Stockholm

Markoolio is known in particular for his humorous songs dealing with partying, drinking, and girls such as "Sommar och sol" ("Summer and sun"), "Vi drar till fjällen" ("We're headin' for the mountains") and "Sola och bada i Piña Colada" ("Sunbathing and swimming in Piña Colada"); his songs mocking contemporary life and phenomena such as "Åka Pendeltåg" ("Riding the commuter train") and "Värsta schlagern" ("The goddam' Schlager [song]"); and songs relating to his native Finland such as "Drömmen om Finland" (The dream of Finland) and "Jag orkar inte mer" (I can't take it anymore).

He has released five studio albums, hosted and participated in numerous television and radio programs, and won several prizes and awards such as Male Artist of the Year at the Swedish Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2007. He is also the owner of a nightclub and the board member of British company Netgames Holdings which he reportedly owns 3.3 percent. Markoolio was one of the hosts for Talang on TV4 in 2009. He also played the titular character of Doktor Mugg and starred as Tyke Mörbult in Hem till Midgård. Markoolio was formerly a contestant on Let's Dance 2013.