Dead at 59
The cause of death for the legendary rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, has died on Wednesday in LA. Coolio’s manager, Jarez, reported that the rapper was visiting a friend when he died. Reports say that he went to used the bathroom and never came out.
His friend went to check on him after a while and found him on the floor. He was pronounced dead on the scene with suspicions of cardiac arrest. The official cause is still pending.
For those that may not know, Coolio was American rapper, actor, record producer and chef. He began his career as a member of the electro hip hop groups Sound Master Crew and Nu-Skool in the late 1980s before he joined WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. Ivey achieved mainstream success in the mid-1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief, Gangsta’s Paradise and My Soul. Best known for his Grammy Award-winning single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Dangerous Minds.
We would like to send out our deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans.