Coolio, the wiry-braided rapper behind the 1995 smash hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, has died at age 59. His death was confirmed by his manager Jarez, though no cause of death was given.
According to Jarez, Coolio went to use the bathroom at a friend’s house and when he didn’t emerge for a while, the friend entered and found him lying unconscious on the floor. EMTs arrived and pronounced Coolio dead on the scene and believed the cause to be cardiac arrest. Police found no drugs or paraphernalia at the scene according to TMZ, and will conduct an autopsy and toxicology report to confirm the cause of death.
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. on August 1st, 1963, Coolio grew up in Compton, CA where he became enmeshed in the developing world of gangster rap. He recorded his first single in 1987, “Watcha Gonna Do”, which received airplay on local hip-hop stations. In 1991, he connected with WC and the Maad Circle and contributed to their debut album Ain’t a Damn Thang Changed.
Three years later, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album It Takes A Thief. The lead single, “Fantastic Voyage”, rose to Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the music video received significant airplay on MTV. It Takes A Thief peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was later certified Platinum. The album introduced Coolio’s signature style of playful lyricism mixed in with the heavier elements of gangster rap that had become solidified by 1994.
Coolio charted his greatest success the following year when he teamed up with R&B singer L.V. for “Gangsta’s Paradise”. Appearing in the film Dangerous Minds, the song topped the charts for three weeks and became an international hit. Beyond the charts, Coolio received another kind of certification when in 1996 “Weird” Al Yankovic parodied the song with “Amish Paradise”. According to a 2011 interview with the Institute Of Production & Recording, Tommy Boy Records supported the parody while Coolio was originally against it before he checked his ego.
“I sat down, and I really thought it out,” Coolio said. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ I was like, ‘Coolio, who the f—k do you think you are? He did Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson didn’t get mad.'”
The success of “Gangsta’s Paradise” led to the rapper’s jump to TV and movies, perhaps most notably his recording of “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel. Coolio also appeared in the 1996 comedy Phat Beach, Batman and Robin (1997), Tyrone (1999), was a regular on Hollywood Squares, and voiced Kwanzaabot in Futurama. In 2008 he hosted his own reality TV show, Coolio’s Rules, which aired six episodes on Oxygen.
In addition to the chart-topper, Coolio’s sophomore album Gangsta’s Paradise contained other hits including “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “Too Hot”. He followed up his best-selling record in 1997 with My Soul, which featured the gospel-inspired “C U When U Get There” which fell just shy of the Top 10 and preceded his dismissal from Tommy Boy Records. He released his final album, From the Bottom 2 the Top, in 2009.