The Grammy-winning rapper, producer, and actor Coolio has passed away. He was best known for his 1995 single “Gangsta’s Paradise.” He was 59. Jarel Posey, the rapper’s longtime manager, told Variety that Coolio passed away around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, PT. TMZ claims that Coolio was discovered at a friend’s home.
In Paradise
In the 1990s, Coolio became well-known in the Los Angeles rap scene after penning the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring movie “Dangerous Minds” in 1995. This was his big break. It soon rose to prominence as one of the most well-known rap songs of all time, spending three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and finishing 1995 as the top single in the United States.
His Rise to Fame
In 1991, Coolio, then known as Artis Leon Ivey Jr., relocated to Compton, California, where he joined the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle. Coolio was born on August 1, 1963, in Pennsylvania. A few years later, in 1994, Coolio signed with Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album, “It Takes a Thief,” which was certified platinum and rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart thanks to the success of its lead single, “Fantastic Voyage.”
As his popularity as a musician waned, Coolio transitioned from music to television, finishing third in a German talent competition for musicians trying to make a comeback in 2004 and making an appearance on “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2009.