Coolio, the musician best known for his hit, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” has died. He was 59.
His death was confirmed by his manager, Jarez Posey, who said the rapper died Wednesday in Los Angeles, The New York Times reports. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Coolio — who was born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. — was mourned by his talent manager, Sheila Finegan, who remembered her client in a statement shared with CNN.
“We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon,” Finegan said, adding, “He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly. Thank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
CNN also reported that the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed an unresponsive male was found on the 2900 block of South Chesapeake Ave. at 4 P.M. local time on Wednesday. First responders called to the scene attempted to resuscitate the man for 45 minutes before he was pronounced dead “just before 5:00 P.M.,” per CNN.
Coolio, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1963 and grew up in Compton, California, emerged as a major force in hip-hop in the ’90s after winning a Grammy award for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was first featured in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds.
While his smash single would be featured in countless other movies and series, it was far from Coolio’s only hit. The rapper’s 1994 song “Fantastic Voyage” was also widely used across film and television, appearing in the soundtrack on Everybody Loves Raymond, American Crime Story and The Secret Life of Pets 2, to name a few. He also created the theme song for Nickelodeon’s series Kenan & Kel, which ran on the network from 1996-2000.
After seeing success in the music industry, Coolio began to appear in TV and movies, often guest starring as himself. His credits over the years include Martin, All That, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Batman & Robin. In more recent years, he appeared in Futurama, Gravity Falls and Teachers.
