Coolio Of Gangsta's Paradise Fame Passes Away At 59

Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., passed away on September 28. The 59-year-old rapper was found unresponsive at a friend's place, according to his manager and friend Jarez Posey's update to TMZ.

"As far as what I know now is that he was at a friend's house and was in his bathroom and had a heart attack," said Jarez Posey.

According to TMZ, paramedics were called to the spot at 4 pm for medical emergency, and they found Coolio dead when they arrived. Although a death investigation is open, the police have said that they don't suspect foul play.

Coolio shot to fame with his song 'Gangsta's Paradise', released in 1995. 'Gangsta's Paradise' was recorded for Michel Pfiffer's film Dangerous Minds. He worked with the R & B singer Larry Sanders, or LV. The song was not intended to be a part of his studio albums, but following its success, it was added as the title track to his next album. The song won him a Grammy. Besides the Grammy, the rapper had won three MTV video music awards.

Wikipedia mentions that Coolio and Posey were invited to be spokespersons for the group Environmental Justice and Climate Change to educate students at historically black colleges and universities about global warming. The page adds that Coolio was an asthma patient and so are his children. He was a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Coolio had consistently made appearances in films and on television. Most notably, he was a part of Celebrity Big Brother in 2009, and Ultimate Big Brother in 2010.

Rest In Peace!