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 popular in 1997. It reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. It also did well on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom. Her first album, Chupacabra, was released by Columbia Records. Critics liked it a lot, and it appeared on the US Heatseekers Albums chart.

In 2001, Imani Coppola was a guest singer on the Baha Men's song "You All Dat". This song reached the top 10 in Australia. It also became her second song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100.

After releasing several albums on her own, Imani Coppola signed with Ipecac Records in 2007. She then released The Black & White Album, which was well-received. The next year, she started a pop/R&B music group called Little Jackie with Adam Pallin. Their first song, "The World Should Revolve Around Me", was a top 40 hit in the UK and Ireland. It was also used as the theme song for a TV show. Little Jackie released their first album, The Stoop, in 2008. Imani Coppola has continued to release solo albums like The Glass Wall (2012) and Hypocrites (2017). She has also released two more albums with Little Jackie.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Imani Coppola grew up in Long Island, New York. She was the second youngest of five children. Her family loved music, and her father was a jazz musician. Her mother played bass, and all her siblings were musicians too.

Imani started playing the violin when she was six years old. She later studied music at the State University of New York at Purchase. She left college after a year to pursue her music career.

Music Career Highlights

Early Success (1997–1999)

While in college, Imani Coppola made some demo songs. A music publisher heard them and connected her with producer Michael Mangini. This led to a lot of record labels wanting to sign her. In 1997, she signed a contract with Columbia Records.

In 1997, Imani released her first song, "Legend of a Cowgirl". It quickly became a top 40 hit in the US. It also did well in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was popular on MTV.

Her first album, Chupacabra, came out in October 1997. Music critics really liked it. The album reached number 47 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. It also charted in the UK. Imani Coppola also performed at Lilith Fair during this time.

Independent Music (2000–2006)

Columbia Records stopped working with Imani in 2000. She wanted to create her own music, but the label wanted her to use samples from other artists. At 22, Imani felt she needed to learn more about music and art.

Coppola sings at a show in Milan in November 2007.

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

In 2001, she sang on a song called "You All Dat" by the Baha Men. This song was a big hit in Australia, reaching number 8. It also charted in the US and Europe.

Without a major record label, Imani started recording music at home in 2001. She also starred in a movie called The Singing Biologist. In 2004, she released Afrodite, an album that critics praised. Imani also performed in small clubs during this time.

In 2005, she started 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 performed with the band Peeping Tom on a TV show and went on tour with them.

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. This label was started by Faith No More singer Mike Patton. In November 2007, Ipecac released her album, The Black & White Album. This was her first widely available album in ten years. Critics gave it 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 Work and Collaborations (2010–Present)

Imani Coppola took a break from her solo work to focus on Little Jackie. In 2010, she released a new EP called Imani's Magic Chicken Soup EP.

In 2012, she released her ninth solo album, The Glass Wall. She also contributed a song called "Celebrate" to the movie soundtrack for Butter. In 2014, she recorded "Perfect Days" for a charity album. The next year, she worked with the group Blackalicious on their song "The Sun".

In 2016, Imani Coppola helped write and produce Hailey Knox's first song, "Geeks". She also wrote another song for Hailey Knox called "Awkward".

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

On September 25, 2017, she released the album's second song, "Mixed Nut". Imani said the song makes fun of some modern social trends. The music video was filmed in her apartment using her own artwork as backgrounds.

Little Jackie

In 2007, Imani Coppola formed the duo Little Jackie with producer Adam Pallin. She saw Little Jackie as a way to get back into pop music. She also wanted to earn money to help other artists.

Little Jackie has released three albums. Their first, The Stoop, came out in July 2008. The main song from the album, "The World Should Revolve Around Me", was a top 20 hit in the UK. It was also the theme song for a TV show. The album received good reviews.

In 2011, Little Jackie released their second album, MADE4TV. Their third album, Queen of Prospect Park, was released in 2014. It included songs that appeared in movies and TV shows like I Don't Know How She Does It and Grey's Anatomy.

Musical Style

Imani Coppola says her songwriting has a "pop feel." She enjoys many different types of music, including classical. She believes this helps her write in any genre she wants. She described her album The Black and White Album as "more experimental, more punk, more rock."

Imani uses a different process when writing songs for herself compared to writing for other artists. She feels that writing for others is more like a job. She has said that seeing the Spice Girls made her feel like she could do anything with her music.

Other Music Projects

Imani Coppola is also good at writing songs with other people. She has been part of songwriting workshops where she wrote with 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. Her music has been heard in commercials for brands like Revlon and Target. She wrote "Move To The Beat" for the film I Don't Know How She Does It. Several of her songs have also been featured on Grey's Anatomy.

Imani Coppola was also a ghostwriter for Cyndi Lauper's musical, Kinky Boots. She has also played the violin in 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 shared a rehearsal space with Bob Dylan, who joked that her practicing was bothering him!

She has mentioned that she finds it challenging to keep up with the modern demands of the music world, like online interviews. Imani is also a talented painter. She has said that her visual art sometimes earns her more money than her music.

The name Imani means 'faith'. Imani Coppola is very connected to spirituality, including tarot reading.

Discography

Solo

Albums

Singles

Little Jackie

Albums

Singles