Coolio, rapper behind hit 'Gangsta's Paradise', dies at 59

Grammy winner found unresponsive in bathroom of friend's house on Wednesday afternoon, according to his manager

'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper Coolio has died aged 59. He was reportedly found dead in the bathroom of a friend's house on Wednesday afternoon. AFP

Coolio performs on day three of Riot Fest in Chicago earlier this month. AP

Coolio and his granddaughter Arya Ivey perform at a basketball game in Las Vegas in May. AFP

The rapper performs a set at Groovin The Moo 2019 in Canberra, Australia. Getty Images

Coolio and his wife at the Venice Carnival in Italy in 2008. EPA

Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr on August 1, 1963 in Pennsylvania, the artist spent most of his life in Compton, California. Getty Images

Coolio s at the 2003 Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 27, 2003. Reuters

With sons Melan, left and Darius at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' in 2002. Reuters

A Fender Stratocaster guitar decorated by Coolio. Getty Images

Coolio directs his first music video for Nickelodeon's 'Kenan and Kel' in June 1996. Reuters

Coolio soared to global fame in 1995 when he released 'Gangsta's Paradise'. Getty Images

Donny Osmond and Coolio exchange pose together at the Toyota Celebrity race in Long Beach in April 1999. Getty Images

Coolio accepts his Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996 in Los Angeles. Reuters

He also won an MTV Video Music Award for best rap video in 1996. Reuters

Stevie Wonder performs with Coolio in 1995, when the rapper won the Billboard Music Award for best single. Reuters

'Weird Al' Yankovic sports Coolio hair at the American Music Awards 1996 in Los Angeles. Reuters

Bjork and Coolio present an MTV Video Music Award in 1994. Reuters

Coolio, the US rapper best known for the chart-topping 1995 song Gangsta's Paradise, has died, his manager said Wednesday. He was 59 years old.

The Grammy-winning musician passed away in Los Angeles, California.

Coolio's friend and manager of 20 years Jarez Posey confirmed the news to AFP without providing additional details.

Posey told celebrity news website TMZ that Coolio was found unresponsive in the bathroom of a friend's house on Wednesday afternoon.

Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr on August 1, 1963 in Pennsylvania, the artist spent most of his life in Compton, California, attending community college and working jobs including airport security before finding success in rap.

Coolio began his music career in California in the late 1980s, digging roots in the Los Angeles scene by 1994 when he signed to Tommy Boy Records.

His single Fantastic Voyage off his debut studio album It Takes a Thief charted as high as three on the Billboard Hot 100.

But it was Gangsta's Paradise the following year that would make Coolio a household name.

The rapper soared to global fame in 1995 when he released the song for the soundtrack of the film Dangerous Minds that starred Michelle Pfeiffer.

It was the year's top single, and scored Coolio a Grammy for best rap solo performance at the subsequent awards gala.

With a hook lifted from Stevie Wonder's 1976 track Pastime Paradise off of that artist's seminal Songs In The Key of Life, the hit sold millions of copies worldwide, topping pop charts in 16 countries.

“It's about life, because you're living in the gangster's paradise also,” Coolio said about his song, speaking in 1995 on the Howard Stern Show.

In an interview more than a decade later with Britain's The Voice, Coolio said he had “no clue” that the song would go on to endure for so many years.

“I didn't write Gangsta's Paradise — it wrote me,” he said. “It was its own entity, out there in the spirit world, trying to find its way to the world, and it chose me as the vessel to come through.”

“I thought it was going to be a hood record; I never thought it would cross over the way that it did — to all ages, races, genres, countries and generations.”

An endearing star of gangsta rap, Coolio's high-spirited music videos brought him an increased following. He later pursued an acting career, including a part in 1997's Batman and Robin and making a number of television cameos including on the hit 1990s show The Nanny.

The social media reaction to the rapper's death was one of shock, with 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice tweeting: “I'm freaking out I just heard my good friend Coolio passed away.”

“Peaceful Journey Brother. #Coolio,” wrote Questlove.

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