Coolio, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper, dead at 59

Coolio, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper, dead at 59 Coolio, the ’90s rapper who illuminated the music graphs with hits like “Gangsta’s Heaven” and “Incredible Journey,” has passed on, his companion and administrator Jarez Posey, told CNN. He was 59.

Posey said Coolio died in the afternoon hours local time in Los Angles on Wednesday.

Details on the circumstances were not immediately available.

When reached by CNN, Capt. Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Local group of fire-fighters affirmed that firemen and paramedics answered an approach the 2900 block of South Chesapeake Rd. at 4 p.m. nearby time for reports of a health related crisis. At the point when they showed up, they saw as a lethargic male and performed “revival endeavors for around 45 minutes.”

The patient “was determined dead just before 5:00 p.m.,” Scott said.

“We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon,” a statement provided to CNN from Coolio’s talent manager Sheila Finegan said.

“He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly. Thank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”

Coolio grew up in Compton, California, according to a bio on his official website.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 1994, he recalled falling into the drug scene but getting himself out by pursuing a career as a firefighter.

“I wasn’t searching for a vocation, I was searching for a method for tidying up – a method for getting away from the medication thing,” he told the distribution. “It planned to kill me and I realized I needed to stop. Firefighting preparing was the discipline I wanted. We ran consistently. I wasn’t drinking or smoking or doing the stuff I normally did.”

His rap career began in the ’80s and he gained fame in the underground scene.

“Fantastic Voyage” was the first song that really put him on the map.

Arguably his biggest song, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” from the soundtrack to the film “Dangerous Minds,” grew his star power to gigantic proportions. He won a Grammy in 1996 for the song.

In the age of streaming, it has continued to live on. In July 2022, the song reached a milestone of one billion views on YouTube.

“It’s one of those kinds of songs that transcends generations,” he said in a recent interview. “I didn’t use any trendy words…I think it made it timeless.”

Over his career, Coolio sold more than 17 million records, according to his website.

Coolio likewise has a unique spot in the hearts of some Recent college grads for his work on the signature melody for the well known Nickelodeon television series “Kenan and Kel” and his commitment to the collection “Dexter’s Research center: The Hip-Jump Examination,” which highlighted tunes by different hip-bounce craftsmen that were motivated by the Animation Organization enlivened series.

In recent years, Coolio enjoyed the perks of being a nostalgic figure, making television appearances on shows like “Celebrity Cook Off” and “Celebrity Chopped.”

He also had a show on Oxygen, “Coolio’s Rules,” that aired 2008.