Sad news has come in as a rapper and actor coolio has passed away. Perhaps best known for his hit song “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which became popular through its inclusion in the 1995 film Dangerous SettingsCoolio was found dead in Los Angeles on Wednesday. So far, no cause of death has been established for the artist. He was only 59 years old.
Per TMZCoolio was visiting a friend’s house when paramedics were called for a medical emergency at about 4pm when Coolio’s friend had stopped responding to him in the bathroom. Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene and while there are no obvious signs of malicious intent, law enforcement officers are now investigating the rapper’s death. An autopsy and toxicology test will be performed, but police say no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the crime scene. According to Coolio’s manager, Jarez, paramedics suspect he may have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. On August 1, 1963, Coolio found success in hip-hop and won a Grammy Award for his single “Gangsta’s Paradise” along with his other hits “Fantastic Voyage”, “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “CU When U Get There’ Coolio’s rise in the 1990s also saw him sing the opening theme in the Nickelodeon series intro Kenan & Kel. A recognizable personality, Coolio would later often appear on various reality shows such as Celebrity Big Brother and wife swapand he also starred in his own cooking web series after exploring another passion he had for the culinary arts.
Coolio also ventured into acting with several appearances in feature films and TV shows. This includes a small role as Jonathan Crane in the superhero movie Batman & Robin; he later appeared in Ben Affleck’s daredevil movie. His other film roles include: Dear God, Leprechaun in the hood, submerged, Scream if you know what I did last Friday the 13th, In pursuit, the rhythm, steal candy, A wonderful night in Split, Dracula 3000, pterodactyland Three days to Vegas. On the small screen, Coolio has appeared in TV shows such as Martin, Sabrina the teenage witch, the babysitter, Joey, Black Jesusand teachers.
Coolio’s famous friends pay tribute
The loss of Coolio has made many of his friends express their grief. Kenan Thompson is struggling to process the news, as he noted his shock in a post on his Instagram Stories. Thompson commented: “Wait, now Coolio!!! Damn homie!!! Rest in Power!!!”
Martin Lawrence also posted a tribute on his own Instagram account. He shared an image of Coolio along with the message, “My deepest condolences and prayers go out to Coolio’s family.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic, who parodied Coolio’s biggest hit with his own hit song “Amish Paradise”, also shared an image of the two hugging and wrote: “RIP Coolio”.
Our thoughts go out to Coolio’s family and friends at this time. May he rest in peace. You can see even more tributes to the rapper and actor below.