CALIFORNIA, USA — Gangsta’s Paradies rapper Coolio has died at age 59, his manager confirmed. The Grammy-winning musician reportedly died at a friend’s house in Los Angeles.
Jazey Posey, Coolio’s longtime manager, confirmed the news to the Associated Press and other outlets such as TMZ, one of the first to break the news.
The hit rapper was found dead on the bathroom floor of his friend’s house. Paramedics initially suspected that the rapper had suffered a cardiac arrest. However, no official statement has been released by Coolio’s representatives.
Coolio’s No. 1 single, Gangsta’s Paradise featuring L.V, was released back in 1995 for the film Dangerous Minds.
The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for three weeks and finished as the year-end No. 1 song on the Hot 100. The single also dominated the Hot Rap Songs chart for 11 consecutive weeks.
Besides its success in the charts, Gangsta’s Paradise also won a single of the year in the Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy Award for best rap solo performance.
It’s also clear that the single left a mark in history as it was ranked as one of Billboard’s Greatest of All Time 100 Songs.
Earlier this year, Coolio also celebrated the official music video of Gangsta’s Paradise, reaching 1 billion views on Youtube.
See the official music video below:
The rapper also saw great success in a few other songs such as Fantastic Voyage, 1,2,3,4, (Sumpin’ New), It Takes a Thief and more.
Other than a music career, Coolio also had a television career and an interest in the culinary arts. He made guest appearances in shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Black Jesus, All That, The Nanny and Futurama.
He also enjoyed participating in competitions such as Fear Factor, Rachael vs Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, and the reality show Big Brother.
RIP, Coolio. – WhatALife!
Also read: Oscar-winning composer Vangelis dies at 79
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