‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio dead at 59

The West Coast artist passed away at a friend's house in Los Angeles, his manager says.

Coolio, the American rapper who was best known for his 1995 hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’ has passed away at the age of 59.

A cause of death has not currently been revealed, however, the rapper’s manager, Jarez Posey, confirmed to TMZ and Rolling Stone that Coolio had passed away in Los Angeles at a friend’s house on Wednesday night (September 28th).

Tributes have been pouring in for the artist in the wake of the news, including from fellow rapper Snoop Dogg, who shared a picture to Instagram of the two on the set of the music video for ‘Gangsta Walk,’ which was released in 2006.

Fellow 90s hip-hop contemporary Ice Cube also paid tribute. “I witnessed first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry,” he tweeted.

Coolio began his musical journey in the 80s, but it was in the 90s that he would cement himself in hip-hop history after releasing ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’ which has gone on to be one of the most successful rap songs of all time. Coolio was born in Pennsylvania but was raised in Compton, LA, where his career began to flourish. Coolio’s talents weren’t just confined to music, he appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2009.

His career spanned over four decades in which he recorded eight studio albums and won a Grammy, three MTV Video Music Awards and an American Music Award. 

Coolio was still active in the music industry right up until his death – he has been on a tour with fellow 90s stars Vanilla Ice and Young MC and they performed in Texas just a few days ago.

Writer
Chris Saunders
Banner Image Credit
Instagram / Coolio