At the age of 59, Artis Leon Ivey Jr., better known by his stage name Coolio, passed away.
The US rapper, who is best known for the timeless single Gangsta’s Paradise from 1995, was apparently discovered unconscious on the toilet floor of a friend’s home in Los Angeles, according to BBC.
Although the precise reason for his death on Wednesday is still unknown, the artist’s longtime manager, Jarez Posey, who broke the news, said paramedics thought the artist may have suffered a heart attack.
The song “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, which was featured on the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring film “Dangerous Minds,” received a Grammy.
In the course of a career spanning more than four decades, Coolio released eight studio albums, took home three MTV Video Music Awards, and received an American Music Award.
Some US music legends, including Snoop Dogg, MC Hammer, and Ice Cube, expressed their sorrow at Coolio’s sudden demise by sharing their condolences.
Coolio was referred to by MC Hammer as “one of the sweetest men I’ve known.”
In his own tribute, Snoop Dogg referred to Coolio’s well-known song by writing: “Gangstas paradise. RIP.”
The news is depressing. I personally saw this man’s struggle to rise to the top of his profession, according to fellow rapper and actor Ice Cube.
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