It’s with a heavy heart that I report “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper Coolio passed away suddenly on Wednesday at the age of 59.
According to his longtime manager, Jarez, Coolio went to the bathroom while visiting a friend’s house.
But, he was in the bathroom much longer than expected.
The friend kept calling out to Coolio and when he didn’t respond the friend entered the bathroom to find Coolio laying on the floor.
EMTs were called and they pronounced Coolio dead at the scene.
Jarez says the paramedics suspect the rapper suffered cardiac arrest, but an official cause of death has not been determined.
Coolio’s real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., and he started his rap career in the late 80s in Los Angeles, California.
He won a Grammy in 1996 for Best Rap Solo Performance for his biggest hit “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Three weeks at #1 and nine weeks at #2. The song was listed at number 85 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All Time.
Coolio’s other hits include 1994’s “Fantastic Voyage,” which reached #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100, “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)”, which was nominated for a Grammy in 1997, and “C U When U Get There,” which was released in 1997.
We send our deepest condolences to Coolio’s family and all who knew and loved him.
Source: TMZ
