Grammy Award-Winning Rapper Coolio Dead At 59

Grammy award-winning rapper Coolio, who reached the peak of his career in the 90s, has passed away.

According to TMZ, Coolio was visiting a friend’s Los Angeles home when he died.

Coolio’s longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend’s house, but when he didn’t come out after a while … the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found Coolio laying on the floor.

Reports say the friend called EMTs, who arrived after 4 PM and pronounced Coolio dead on the scene — and Jarez says the paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest. Police have opened a death investigation but does not suspect file play.

An official cause of death has not been determined.

Coolio, who was born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., begin his rap career in the late 80s, but blew up nationally in 1995 when he released “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, “Dangerous Minds.”

The hit song reach #1 on the Billboard charts and stayed their for 3 weeks.

While ‘Gansta’s Paradise’ became his signature hit, Coolio had several others–including 1994’s “Fantastic Voyage” — which hit #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 — as well as “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “It’s All the Way Live (Now).”

Coolio was 59.

Sending condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace.