Artis Leon Ivey Jr., also known as the rapper Coolio, passed away at the age of 59. The Compton native was at a friend's house and used the bathroom. When he didn’t return in a timely fashion, his friends went to check on him and found him unresponsive on the floor. The paramedics were called and Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene by cardiac arrest.
Coolio made music in the late-1980s and early-1990s, but it wasn’t until his 1994 album It Takes a Thief that he broke through with ‘Fantastic Voyage.’ The next year, Coolio was featured on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack with ‘Gangsta’s Paradise,’ a bleak, Stevie Wonder-sampling tune, that hit number one around the world. Michelle Pfeiffer, the actress from the movie, even made a scene-stealing cameo in the video.
Over the years, Coolio had other hits including ‘1-2-3-4 [Sumthin’ New]’ and ‘C U When I Get There.’ The rapper was known as a fun-loving person with wild hair who had a string of reality shows like Cookin’ with Coolio and Coolio’s Rules.
RIP to Coolio and condolences to his family and friends.