Imani Coppola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imani Coppola
Coppola, in 2007, backstage before a concert with Peeping Tom
Background information
Birth name	Imani Francesca Coppola
Born	(1978-04-06) April 6, 1978 (age 47)
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Contemporary R&B Alternative R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, violin, acoustic guitar, keyboard
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Columbia Ipecac independent Plush Moon Records
Associated acts	Little Jackie

Imani Francesca Coppola (born April 6, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, and violinist. She is known for her unique musical style. Her first hit song, "Legend of a Cowgirl", became very popular in 1997. It reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and also charted well in the UK.

Her first album, Chupacabra, was released by Columbia Records. Critics really liked it, and it appeared on the US Heatseekers Albums chart. In 2001, Imani was featured on the Baha Men song "You All Dat". This song was a top 10 hit in Australia and was her second song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100.

Imani Coppola released several albums on her own in the early 2000s. She also starred in a musical movie called The Singing Biologist. She wrote the music for this film too. In 2007, she signed with Ipecac Records and released The Black & White Album. This album was also well-received by music critics.

The next year, she started a pop/R&B group called Little Jackie with Adam Pallin. Their first song, "The World Should Revolve Around Me", was a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was even used as the theme song for a TV show called New York Goes to Hollywood. Little Jackie has released three albums, with their latest being Queen of Prospect Park in 2014. Imani continues to release solo music, with her most recent album, Air Fryer, coming out in 2024.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Imani Coppola grew up on Long Island, New York. She was the second youngest of five children. Her family faced challenges, but these experiences encouraged her to be independent and creative. Her family didn't have much money for entertainment, so music became a big part of their lives.

Music was always around Imani. Her father is a jazz musician, and her mother plays bass. All of her brothers and sisters are musicians too. Imani remembers her father, who was her biggest musical inspiration, playing "Bessie's Blues" on an old piano. She started playing the violin when she was six years old. Later, she studied music at the State University of New York at Purchase, but she left after a year to pursue her career.

Music Career Highlights

Early Success (1997–1999)

While in college, Imani Coppola made some demo songs. Her older sister's boyfriend, Ross Elliot, helped her connect with producer Michael Mangini. This led to a lot of record labels wanting to sign her. In 1997, Imani signed a recording contract with Columbia Records.

In 1997, Imani released her first single, "Legend of a Cowgirl". It quickly became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also did well in other countries like New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The music video for the song was also very popular on MTV.

Imani's first album, Chupacabra, came out in October 1997. Music critics loved the album. It reached number 47 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. The album also charted in the UK. She released another single from the album, "I'm a Tree", but it wasn't as successful. In 1998, Imani performed at Lilith Fair, a music festival.

Independent Music (2000–2006)

In 2000, Columbia Records decided not to continue working with Imani. They also didn't release her second album. Imani felt that the label wanted her to use samples from other artists, but she wanted to create her own music. She decided to learn more about music and art on her own.

Coppola sings at a show in Milan in November 2007.

Coppola in concert with Peeping Tom, Milan in November 2006.

In 2001, Imani was featured on the Baha Men song "You All Dat". This song was a big hit, reaching the top 10 in Australia and the top 40 in the UK. It also charted in the US. After this, Imani started recording music at home. She also acted in a movie called The Singing Biologist.

In 2004, she released an album called Afrodite. She also started performing in small clubs. During this time, Imani faced financial difficulties and moved to Staten Island. In 2005, she launched her own website to sell her independent albums. She even decorated each album by hand! She also wrote songs for other artists. In 2006, she toured with the band Peeping Tom.

Coppola sings at a show on tour with Mike Patton's Peeping Tom at the Detour Festival in October 2006.

The Black & White Album (2007–2009)

In 2007, Imani Coppola signed with Ipecac Recordings, a record label started by Faith No More singer Mike Patton. In November of that year, she released her eighth album, The Black & White Album. This was her first widely available album in ten years. Critics gave the album good reviews. Two songs from the album, "Raindrops from the Sun (Hey, Hey, Hey)" and "Woke Up White", were released as singles. "Raindrops from the Sun" was even featured in an episode of the TV show Grey's Anatomy.

Recent Solo Work and Collaborations (2010–Present)

After focusing on Little Jackie for a while, Imani released a new EP in 2010 called Imani's Magic Chicken Soup EP. In 2012, she released her ninth solo album, The Glass Wall. The album was named after the New York City studio where it was recorded.

Imani has also worked with many other artists. In 2014, she recorded a song called "Perfect Days" for a charity album. In 2015, she collaborated with the group Blackalicious on their song "The Sun". The group's producer, Chief Xcel, called Imani a "genius" and one of the most brilliant writers he had worked with. In 2016, she co-wrote and co-produced songs for Hailey Knox.

On July 21, 2017, Imani released a new single, "Just Feels Good". She had originally written the song for another artist, but decided to record it herself. The music video for the song was filmed at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Her twelfth album, Hypocrites, was released on the same day. She produced the album herself.

In September 2017, she released another single from the album, "Mixed Nut". Imani explained that the song makes fun of some social trends. The music video for "Mixed Nut" was filmed in her apartment using her own artwork as backgrounds. Imani released her twelfth album, The Protagonist, in 2019. Her most recent album, Air Fryer, was released in 2024.

Little Jackie

In 2007, Imani Coppola formed the duo Little Jackie with producer and musician Adam Pallin. Imani saw Little Jackie as a way to get back into pop music and earn money to help other artists. She felt that groups like Gnarls Barkley made it possible for her to return to the music industry.

Imani explained that Little Jackie was her "popular artist" side. She hoped it would help her become a superstar, but if not, she would be happy being a "crazy-lady artist" making art every day.

Little Jackie has released three albums. Their first album, The Stoop, came out in July 2008. The main single, "The World Should Revolve Around Me", was a top 20 hit in the UK. It was also the theme song for the VH1 reality TV series New York Goes to Hollywood, where Little Jackie even made an appearance. The album received good reviews.

In 2011, Little Jackie released their second album, MADE4TV, independently. Their third album, Queen of Prospect Park, was released in September 2014. This album included songs that were featured in the movie I Don't Know How She Does It and an episode of Grey's Anatomy. In 2022, Little Jackie released two EPs, and a Christmas EP called It's Skipmas! was released in December 2024.

Musical Style

Imani Coppola says her songwriting has a "pop sensibility." This means she writes songs that are catchy and easy to listen to. She has many different musical influences, including classical music. She likes to write in any genre she wants, even if the music industry sometimes prefers artists to stick to one style. She described her album The Black and White Album as "more experimental, more punk, more rock."

Imani has a different way of writing songs for herself compared to writing for other artists. She says her brain and how she works changes depending on the project. She also mentioned that seeing the Spice Girls made her feel like she could do anything in music.

Other Musical Projects

Imani Coppola is also very good at co-writing songs. She has participated in songwriting retreats where she has written with famous artists like Bon Jovi and Hanson.

When she's not working on her own albums, Imani writes many songs for TV shows, movies, and advertisements. She creates songs specifically for visual scenes and brands. Her music has been heard in commercials for companies like Revlon and Target. She wrote "Move To The Beat" for the film I Don't Know How She Does It and has had several songs on Grey's Anatomy.

Imani was also a ghostwriter for Cyndi Lauper's musical, Kinky Boots, during its early development. She has also performed as a violinist in Cyndi Lauper's stage band.

Personal Life

Imani Coppola lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant with her cat. She records music in her home studio. At one point, she even shared a rehearsal space with famous musician Bob Dylan, who once commented that her practicing was bothering him!

Imani has talked about how she finds it challenging to keep up with the modern demands of the music world, like online interviews and video blogs. She also thinks about the choices her parents made as artists. She feels a mix of respect and frustration because her family struggled financially due to their artistic paths.

Besides music, Imani Coppola is also a talented painter. She has said that her visual art sometimes brings in more money than her music. Imani's name, Imani, means 'faith'. She feels a deep connection to spirituality, including things like tarot reading.

Discography

Solo Albums

Solo Singles

Little Jackie Albums

Little Jackie Singles