At the age of 59, beloved rapper Coolio has died, as confirmed by his manager.
Real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio started his career in the 1980s, though he received meteoric success after the release of his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise.
It even earned him a Grammy for best solo rap performance, cementing him as one of the all-time greats in the industry.
The song stayed at number one in the US charts for three solid weeks, before he went on to earn five Grammys over the course of his historic career.
News of his death has sent shockwaves across the music industry, with fellow artists and fans sending sharing their love and respect for the artist.
How did Coolio die?
(Image: WireImage)
As confirmed by his longtime manager Jarez Posey, Coolio was visiting his friend’s house in Los Angeles when he collapsed to the floor on Wednesday (September 28).
He apparently died of a heart attack after being found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of the LA home.
However, this manager told TMZ that paramedics believe he may have died due to cardiac arrest.
Paramedics were called to the scene at 4am for a medical emergency and when they arrived at the home, the rapper was pronounced dead.
Police sources also told the outlet that no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene of Coolio’s death.
The exact cause of death is still to be confirmed.
Tributes to Coolio
(Image: Getty Images)
There was an immediate outpourin of love for the rapper, with tens of thousands turning to social media to share their grief over the news.
Snoop Dogg simply wrote: “Gangstas paradise. R I P,” while sharing a picture of the two artists during the shoot of their Gangsta Walk music video from 2006.
“This is sad news. I witness first-hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry,” Ice Cube shared.
Vanilla Ice added: “I’m freaking out I just heard my good friend Coolio passed away.”
MC Hammer shared a black and white picture of Coolio on Twitter, adding the caption: “One of the nicest dudes I’ve known.
“Good people. R I P. Coolio.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
