American rapper Coolio, known for 'Gangsta's Paradise', died at 59
Rapper Coolio, here during the 'I Love the 90's Tour' on August 7, 2022 in Aurora, Illinois.
© Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
American rapper Coolio died on Wednesday September 28 in Los Angeles, his manager announced.
Known for his tube
Gangsta's Paradise
released in 1995, he was 59 years old.
The cause of his death was not immediately known.
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The Grammy Award-winning musician died in Los Angeles, according to Jarez Posey, Coolio's longtime friend and manager.
He told TMZ, a publication specializing in celebrity coverage, that Coolio was found unconscious in a friend's bathroom on Wednesday afternoon.
Born August 1, 1963 as Artis Leon Ivey Jr in Pennsylvania, the artist has spent most of his life in Compton, California.
In this dangerous city of Los Angeles County, which
found itself at the heart of hip-hop in
particular with the success of the group NWA, he studied and held various jobs, notably in airport security, before finding success thanks to rap.
Coolio began his music career in California in the late 1980s, putting down roots in Los Angeles in 1994 after signing with Tommy Boy Records.
Her single
Fantastic Voyage
, from her debut studio album
It Takes a Thief
, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
A worldwide hit hit based on a sample by Stevie Wonder
But it was with
Gangsta's Paradise
the following year that Coolio made a name for himself.
The rapper became world famous in 1995 when he released this title for the soundtrack of the film
Dangerous Minds
with Michelle Pfeiffer.
It became the year's top single and earned Coolio a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
With a melody taken from Stevie Wonder's
Pastime Paradise
, released in 1976 on his album
Songs In The Key of Life
, the hit sold millions of copies worldwide, reaching the top of the pop music charts. in 16 countries.
"Gangsta's Paradise
is about life, because we also live in gangsta's paradise
," Coolio said of his song in 1995 as a guest on the
Howard Stern Show
radio show .
“
She wrote to me
”
In an interview over a decade later, on British show
The Voice
, Coolio said he had no idea the song would stick around for so many years.
“
I didn't write Gangsta's Paradise.
She was the one who wrote to me... It was her own entity, out there in the spirit world, trying to make its way out into the world, and she chose me as her vessel
," said -he.
“
I never thought it would spread the way it did, reaching all ages, races, genders, countries and generations
,” he said.
Coolio subsequently never replicated the success of his flagship title, but released hits like
1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)
and
Too Hot
.
An endearing gangsta rap star, Coolio has seen his popularity grow thanks to colorful music videos.
He then embarked on an acting career, notably landing a role in
Batman and Robin
in 1997 and making several television appearances, including in the seminal 1990s series
A Nanny
.
“
Go in peace, my brother.
#Coolio
,” musician Questlove wrote on Twitter.
Peaceful Journey Brother.
#Coolio https://t.co/59sMVmQsU7
— Dr. Love (@questlove) September 29, 2022
(With AFP)
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