The Grammy winner from California, who rose to fame with ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, has suffered a heart attack. That reports his manager.
Rapper Coolio, known for hits like ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, has died at the age of 59. That was confirmed by his manager on Wednesday evening. The entertainer, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., had a music career that spanned more than three decades.
“As far as I know he was at a friend’s house and he had a heart attack in the bathroom,” said his manager Jarez Posey. Further details of the circumstances are not yet known.
A native of California, Coolio won a Grammy for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was released as part of the soundtrack for the 1995 Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds,” and stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list for three weeks. That was his breakthrough song, and the following year he received a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance.
Other well-known hits of his include “Fantastic Voyage” and “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “CU When U Get There”. In total, Coolio has sold more than 17 million records, according to his website.