Legendary rapper and actor Coolio has died at the age of 59. Page Six reports that Coolio was at a friend’s Los Angeles home, where he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Concerned when Coolio took a long time to return, the friend called out to him with no response. The friend went to check in the bathroom, where he found Coolio on the floor. The paramedics were called immediately, and Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene from what is suspected to be cardiac arrest, although the official cause of death. Coolio’s death occurs just two weeks after the murder of fellow rapper PnB Rock.
The Career of Legendary Rapper Coolio
According to TMZ, Coolio’s real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., and he came on to LA’s rap scene in the 1980s. He blew up into stardom when he released the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the Dangerous Minds soundtrack. The song was number on the charts for three weeks, and it is often called one of the greatest rap songs of all time. It won Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance and two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video and Best Video From a Film. Check out the video for the song below:
While “Gangsta’s Paradise” may be Coolio’s most iconic song, so much so that Weird Al Yankovic recorded the parody “Amish Paradise,” the rapper had many other hits. Such hits included “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “It’s All the Way Live (Now).” Fans of 1990s Nickelodeon will also remember Coolio singing “Aw, Here It Goes,” which was the theme of Kenan & Kel.
Coolio also showed his acting skills, appearing in films such as Batman & Robin (1998) and Daredevil (2002). He also acted in TV shows such as Charmed and Malcolm in the Middle. He provided the voice of the Kwanzaa-bot in Futurama.
Coolio was a rapper and actor whose impact who made a strong impact in the world of rap music, and he will forever be a legend.