As confirmed by his manager, United States (US) rapper, Coolio, died at the age of 59 in the city of Los Angeles.
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| US rapper Artis Leon Ivey Jr., popularly known as Coolio. Photo: Frans Schellekens/Redferns via TheGuardian |
His real name, Artis Leon Ivey Jr, passed away at a friend’s house. Jarez Posey, his longtime manager disclosed to Associated Press.
The cause of the rapper’s death remains unknown.
Coolio is widely famous for his 1995 single Gangsta’s Paradise, for which he clinched a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance.
Coolio bagged five other Grammy nominations during a career that started in the late 1980s.
The rapper’s career took off with the release of his debut album in 1994, titled It Takes A Thief, on Tommy Boy Records.
Fantastic Voyage, the album’s opening track, would reach No 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gangsta’s Paradise would become a No 1 single, a year later, with its haunting opening lyrics: “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/ I take a look at my life and realize there’s nothin’ left/ ’cause I’ve been blastin’ and laughin’ so long that/ even my mama thinks that my mind is gone.”
According to TheGuardian:
Earlier this year, the song hit one billion views on YouTube.
Billboard reported, marking the milestone, Coolio in a video expressed gratitude to his fans, “I want to thank everybody for all the years of love and being there for me. I hope I got you through some good times and got you through some bad times.”
Rapper Ice Cube, took to Twitter to send his condolences: “This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace.”
This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace @Coolio https://t.co/vCeyn08Vsi
— Ice Cube (@icecube) September 29, 2022
