Who was Coolio?
POPULAR 90s rapper Coolio has passed away after reportedly collapsing while visiting a friend in Los Angeles.
The hitmaker died on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, with his cause of death unknown.
Who was Coolio?
Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr, was an American rapper, producer, actor, reality TV star, and even a chef.
Born on August 1, 1963, he hit peak fame for his 1995 hit Gangsta's Paradise, for which he won a Grammy award.
The song featured on the soundtrack of Michelle Pfeiffer's film, Dangerous Minds, and was a number one chart success across the world.
He found more chart success with Fantastic Voyage, Too Hot, 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), It's All the Way Live (Now), and C U When U Get There.
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Children of the 90s will remember Aw, Here It Goes! which was used as the theme song for Nickelodeon's hit TV show, Kenan and Kel.
His first three albums featured in the Billboard 200 top 40
Coolio was was married to Josefa Salinas from 1996 until 2000 and was reportedly a father of between six and 10 children.
He was the star of a reality show featuring his single parenting adventures, called Coolio’s Rules.
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Later, he hosted the online series Cookin' With Coolio and released a cookbook by the same name.
He appeared in Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2009, finishing in third spot.
How did Coolio die?
Coolio was at a friend's house on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28, 2022, when he went to the bathroom.
When he didn't return, his friend reportedly began to call for him but didn't get an answer.
The friend then called the paramedics, who pronounced Coolio dead on the scene.
While an official cause of death has not yet been issued, the EMTs who responded to the call suspect it was a heart attack.
Just days before his death, the rapper posted a video to his Instagram from Texas, where he was on stage touring.
That post has become a makeshift memorial as fans learn of his death.
He was 59 years old.
How are fans reacting to Coolio's death?
One fan wrote on Twitter saying: "Rest In Peace Coolio. His music brought a lot of joy to a lot of people.
"That man had huge huge hits. A fantastic voyage, indeed."
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Another tweeted: "RIP Coolio, whose one massive hit overshadowed a formidable run of classic West Coast bangers."
"An original member of the Maad Circle & Compton representative – with an undeniable star quality, humor, charisma, and a gift for making street tales mainstream without sanitizing them."