Famed 90s rapper Coolio has died. You’ll likely remember him for his big hit song “Gangster’s Paradise.” The video for the song co-stared big-name star at the time, Michelle Pfeiffer. Coolio was only 59 years old when he died on the bathroom floor at a friend’s house. Radio Nigeria reported that Coolio, an American rapper, is dead. The rapper who achieved enormous success in the 90s was visiting a friend late Wednesday afternoon when he passed away.
Coolio’s longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend’s house, but when he didn’t come out after a while … the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found Coolio lying on the floor.
Newsmen learned that Coolio died Wednesday in Los Angeles learned.
The friend was reported to have called EMTs, who arrived and pronounced Coolio dead on the scene.
Jarez told newsmen that the paramedics suspected he suffered cardiac arrest but the official cause of death has not been determined.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., came up on the L.A. rap scene in the late 80s, but blew up nationally in 1995 when he released “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, “Dangerous Minds.”
In the meantime, police have opened an investigation into the cause of his death, however, sources say the coroner will make a final determination following an autopsy.
He was aged 59.
However, we’re hearing from sources that police believe Coolio died of a heart attack:
The rapper who achieved enormous success in the 90s was visiting a friend late Wednesday afternoon when he passed away. Coolio’s longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend’s house, but when he didn’t come after a while … the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found him laying on the floor. We’re told the friend called EMTs, who arrived and pronounced him dead on the scene — and Jarez tells us the paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest.
His song “Gangster Paradise” is a classic.
Watch:
I looked up to see if Coolio suffered from any known illnesses and it looks like he was plagued with dangrous asthma his entire life:
The Gangsta’s Paradise singer was also dogged by a chronic condition since childhood. Back in February 2016, the star was unable to get through a meager five-song set in Brooklyn. The Fantastic Voyage singer was performing an impromptu gig at the Hill Country Barbeque Market in Brooklyn when he was struck by an asthma attack. The star has struggled with asthma his entire life.
An eyewitness of the show told Page Six at the time: “Coolio was having problems with his asthma, but someone from the audience provided him with their inhaler that he used between verses of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’ and his other songs.”
This wasn’t the first Asthma attack the star has had.
Growing up, the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant had a “few episodes” of Asthma that ended up putting the star’s life in danger.
He told USA today in a throwback interview: “I had a few episodes with asthma where I was in serious trouble and could have died.”
At one point, Coolio also struggled with crack addiction.
Coolio dealt with extreme poverty while he was growing up and struggled with drug addiction from when he was a teenager – once even claiming to be LA’s first crack addict.
Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr, was born in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Compton, California where he was known to be a highly intelligent child.
According to his biography by Steve Huey, things took a turn when his parents got divorced when he was 11, leading the future rapper affiliating himself with the Baby Crips gang.
Trying to fit in at school, Coolio created an unstable persona and developed menacing behaviour, bringing weapons into school and bringing to an end his once-bright educational future.
Upon releasing his first single Watcha Gonna Do, the rapper’s fame was short lived as he spiralled into a serious drug problem which derailed his music career.
The biography states that Coolio checked himself into rehab for a crack cocaine addiction and tried to straighten himself out by taking up a job as a firefighter.
In 2009, Coolio was charged with possession of crack cocaine and battery – the latter which came from allegedly grabbing a security officer’s arm while his luggage was being searched.
He also was snorting copious amounts of cocaine at that time, which led to more crack use, as well. But the arrest also forced Coolio to face his demons publicly, and he claims he got clean.
However, even if he did really quit, which remains to be seen, that’s a lot of strain put on your heart.
Let’s hope the family gets the answers they need to help them get through this difficult time.
RIP, Coolio. Thanks for the memories.
This post originally appeared on WayneDupree.com.