Grammy-winning rapper Coolio died of a heart attack on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, his manager Jarel “Jarez” Posey confirmed to TMZ and Rolling Stone. He was 59.
Coolio was visiting a friend when he collapsed and died on the bathroom floor, according to reports.
The rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was best known for his hit singles “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.”
“Gangsta’s Paradise” sampled Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise”. Wonder gave his approval to use the sample only if the song did not contain any profanity.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” won the 1996 Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance and was nominated for a Best Song of the Year Grammy.
Tributes continue to pour in on Twitter and Facebook.
the way tv and hip-hop were so connected in the 90s is something i’ll never forget. and it gave us one of the best songs in the kenan and kel theme by coolio. rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/D4t9H28b1e
— nadirah (@hinadirah) September 29, 2022
Rest In Peace Coolio. His music brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. That man had huge huge hits. A fantastic voyage, indeed. ✌?
— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) September 29, 2022
We’re told the friend called EMTs, who arrived and pronounced Coolio dead on the scene — and Jarez tells us the paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest. An official cause of death has not been determined.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., came up on the L.A. rap scene in the late 80s, but blew up nationally in 1995 when he released “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, “Dangerous Minds.”
