The US rapper Coolio, who became known in the 1990s with the hit "Gangsta's Paradise", is dead. He died in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon (local time), his longtime manager and friend Jarez Posey told US media. The Grammy Award winner was 59 years old. Coolio's agency in Great Britain confirmed the death of the musician to the German Press Agency.
His current manager, Sheila Finegan, wrote in a statement quoted by the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and CNN, among others: "He moved the world with the gift of his talent and will be greatly missed." Coolio collapsed in the bathroom at a friend's house that afternoon, Posey told the TMZ.com portal, which was the first to report the death.
The cause of death was initially unknown. Firefighters were called to the home due to a medical emergency, CNN reported. Paramedics tried in vain to revive the patient.
"Peaceful Journey Brother"
The rapper's sudden death sparked consternation in the music community. "Peaceful journey, brother," wrote drummer and rap musician Questlove (51) on Instagram. This is "sad news", rapper Ice Cube (53) posted on Twitter. He himself witnessed Coolio's rise to the top of the industry.
The Pennsylvania-native artist began his career in Compton, California, a Los Angeles borough that has hosted a number of major West Coast rappers such as Dr. Dre or Ice Cube spawned. The musician, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., landed a number one hit in 1995 with "Gangsta's Paradise". The song, which is also featured on the soundtrack of the film "Dangerous Minds" starring Michelle Pfeiffer, earned him a Grammy.
In July of this year, the song hit the one billion YouTube hit mark, according to Billboard magazine. Coolio also had success with songs like "Fantastic Voyage" and "I Remember". He has also appeared in TV series and films such as "Batman
The rapper has had multiple run-ins with the law for illegal drug and gun possession. He was also on trial in Germany in 1998. At that time he was sentenced to six months probation and a fine for being an accessory to robbery and assault.
