Coolio, the rapper who had singles like "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage" and was one of hip-hop's names in the 1990s, has died.
Digital Desk: Rapper Coolio, whose 1990s successes included "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage," died on Wednesday at the age of 59, according to his manager.
Longtime manager Jarez Posey confirmed to The Associated Press that Coolio passed away at a friend's house in Los Angeles. The reason wasn't immediately obvious.
"Gangsta's Paradise," a 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer movie "Dangerous Minds," which sampled Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Pastime Paradise," earned Coolio a Grammy for best solo rap performance. The song was heavily played on MTV.
In 1996, during a bitter conflict between the hip-hop scenes on the two coasts that would soon claim the lives of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., he won the Grammy and reached the height of his stardom.
Most of the time, Coolio was able to avoid conflict.
He declared from the stage as he took the prize, "United we stand, divided we fall. I'd like to claim this Grammy on behalf of the entire hip-hop country, West Coast, East Coast, and global.
Coolio went to Compton, California after being born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. in Monessen, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh. When he was a teenager, his mother sent him to Northern California for a while because she thought the city was too unsafe.
As mentioned in interviews, he began rapping at the age of 15, and by the time he was 18, he knew it was what he wanted to do with his life. However, before dedicating himself fully to the hip-hop scene, he attended community college, worked as a volunteer firefighter, and worked in airport security.
With the 1994 publication of "It Takes a Thief," his debut album on Tommy Boy Records, his career took off. "Fantastic Voyage," the album's lead single, would peak at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Social media erupted with outrage over the untimely demise.
'This is awful news,' tweeted Ice Cube. "I have seen this man's ascent to the top of his profession firsthand. Peace be with you, @Coolio.
With a photo of the two guys cuddling, "Weird Al" Yankovic tweeted, "RIP Coolio."
When it first came out, Coolio expressed his displeasure with Yankovic's 1996 "Amish Paradise" parody of "Gangsta's Paradise" in an interview. However, they later reconciled.
According to Luminate, his lifetime album sales came to 4.8 million, while his tracks have had 978 million on-demand streaming. He would receive a total of six Grammy nominations.
With his unique persona, he would go on to become a cultural icon. He would occasionally act, appear in the parenting reality series "Coolio's Rules," lend his voice to an episode of the cartoon series "Gravity Falls," and compose the theme song for the Nickelodeon sitcom "Kenan & Kel."
From 1996 to 2000, he was married to Josefa Salinas. Together, they had four children.
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