{"id":81340,"date":"2022-09-29T04:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T04:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/coolio-dead-gangstas-paradise-rapper-was-59\/"},"modified":"2022-09-29T04:00:05","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T04:00:05","slug":"coolio-dead-gangstas-paradise-rapper-was-59","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/coolio-dead-gangstas-paradise-rapper-was-59\/","title":{"rendered":"Coolio Dead: ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Rapper Was 59"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tCoolio, the Grammy-winning rapper, producer and actor best known for his 1995 hit \u201cGangsta’s Paradise,\u201d has died. He was 59. <\/p>\n

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\tThe rapper’s longtime manager Jarel Posey confirmed the news to variety<\/em>, saying that Coolio died around 5 pm PT on Wednesday afternoon. According to TMZ, Coolio was found at a friend’s house.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cWe are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly, \u201dSheila Finegan, his manager at Trinity Artists International, said in a statement to variety<\/em>. \u201cThank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tCoolio rose to prominence in the Los Angeles rap scene in the ’90s, scoring his big break when he recorded the song \u201cGangsta’s Paradise\u201d for the 1995 movie \u201cDangerous Minds,\u201d starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It quickly became one of the most popular rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and ending 1995 as the No. 1 single of that year in the United States. In 1996, \u201cGangsta’s Paradise\u201d was nominated for the record of the year and best rap solo performance at the Grammy Awards, with Coolio winning the latter. <\/p>\n

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\tThe song was soon spoofed by \u201cWeird Al\u201d Yankovic, who satirized it as \u201cAmish Paradise,\u201d though Coolio was adamant that he did not give Weird Al permission to do so. However, Coolio later said in interviews that the two made amends. <\/p>\n

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\tBorn Artis Leon Ivey Jr. on Aug. 1, 1963 in Pennsylvania, Coolio later moved to Compton, Calif. where he joined the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. A few years later, in 1994, Coolio signed with Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album \u201cIt Takes a Thief.\u201d Catapulted by its lead single \u201cFantastic Voyage,\u201d \u201cIt Takes a Thief\u201d peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and was certified platinum. <\/p>\n

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\tAfter the success of \u201cGangsta’s Paradise\u201d in the mid-’90s, Coolio continued to grow in fame and eventually recorded \u201cAw, Here It Goes!\u201d for the opening sequence of Nickelodeon’s \u201cKenan & Kel,\u201d which he also appeared in. His third album, \u201cMy Soul,\u201d released in 1997 and contained \u201cCU When U Get There,\u201d which hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified gold but did n’t have the same effect as his first two records, and thus became his last record with Tommy Boy. <\/p>\n

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\tCoolio would go on to release five more studio albums: 2001’s \u201cCoolio.com,\u201d 2002’s \u201cEl Cool Magnifico,\u201d 2006’s \u201cThe Return of the Gangsta,\u201d 2008’s \u201cSteal Hear\u201d and 2009’s \u201cFrom the Bottom 2 the Top.\u201d As his commercial success in music faded, Coolio became a TV personality, placing third on a German talent show about artists looking to make a comeback in 2004 and appearing on \u201cCelebrity Big Brother\u201d in 2009. Food was also a big love of Coolio’s. He released a cookbook, \u201cCookin’ With Coolio,\u201d in 2009 and competed on the Food Network series \u201cRachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off\u201d in 2012, coming in second place. <\/p>\n

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\tA talented actor as well, Coolio appeared in dozens of films and TV shows throughout his career. Starting with a guest spot as himself on \u201cMartin\u201d (1995), Coolio’s credits include the \u201cDangerous Minds\u201d TV spinoff (1996), \u201cSabrina the Teenage Witch\u201d (1996), \u201cBatman & Robin\u201d (1997), \u201cThe Nanny\u201d (1998), \u201cTyrone\u201d (1999), \u201cMidnight Mass\u201d (1999), \u201cCharmed\u201d (2002), \u201cStar-ving\u201d (2009), \u201cFuturama\u201d (2001, 2010) and \u201cGravity Falls\u201d (2012). <\/p>\n

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\tAccording to his IMDb page, Coolio had three movies in the works: Rob Margolies’ \u201cBobcat Moretti,\u201d a monster movie called \u201cIt Wants Blood 2\u201d and a TV movie \u201cVegas High.\u201d Coolio also continued to perform, having just recently played a set at Chicago’s Riot Fest on Sept. 18.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n