The West Coast legend was visiting a friend in Los Angeles on late Wednesday, September 28 when he excused himself to go to the bathroom, but didn't come out after a while.
- Sep 29, 2022
AceShowbiz - The hip-hop community is in mourning again. Coolio, who achieved mainstream success in the 1990s, has passed away at age 59 after he was found unconscious in the bathroom of a friend's house.
Coolio's longtime manager Jarez confirms to TMZ, which first reported the news, the West Coast legend was visiting a friend's house in Los Angeles on late Wednesday, September 28 when he excused himself to go to the bathroom. But when he didn't come after a while, the friend kept calling for him.
The friend eventually went in and found Coolio laying on the floor. The friend called EMTs, but when they arrived, it's apparently too late as they pronounced the rapper dead on the scene. An official cause of death has not been determined, but Jarez says paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest.
Following the tragic news of Coolio's passing, tributes have poured in from his fans on social media. "Hot Ones" host Sean Evans tweeted, "First CD I ever bought in my life and the most legendary Wing 10 Last Dab these eyes have ever seen RIP Coolio."
The Gumbo editor Nadirah summed up how Coolio left his mark in the industry, "the way tv and hip-hop were so connected in the 90s is something i'll never forget. and it gave us one of the best songs in the kenan and kel theme by coolio. rest in peace."
Journalist and True Laurels founder Lawrence Burney weighed in, "Coolio for sure one of my first super early childhood examples of a truly eccentric rapper. And crackin on ppl for having coolio braids was definitely a thing for a long time lol. Plus the Keenan & Kel theme song? Damn. He was everywhere. Fly high to a legend."
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., came up on the L.A. rap scene in the late 1980s, but only rose to fame in 1995 after the release of "Gangsta's Paradise", which was featured in the movie "Dangerous Minds". He's also best known for his singles "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996) and "C U When U Get There" (1997).
Last year, the Monessen-born artist made his return to music with an official comeback single entitled "Out Fa The Bag", his first track since re-signing with Tommy Boy Records. Just several days before his death, he took to Instagram to post a video of his latest performance in Texas.
