Coolio, the West Coast rapper known for his gritty music and anthemic hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” that helped define hip-hop in the 1990s, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. he was 59 years old.
His longtime manager Jareth Posey confirmed his death.
Posey, who has worked with the rapper for more than 20 years, said he was told Coolio died around 5 p.m. at a friend’s house. No reason was given.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., won Best Rap Solo Performance for “Gangsta’s Paradise” in 1996 and was also nominated for Record of the Year. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
“Coolio still builds his raps on famous 1970s oldies, with intricate, syncopated rhymes that feel like conversations,” wrote Jon Pareles in his New York Times review. I’m here. “Pastime Paradise” by Stevie Wonder.
Critic Caryn James wrote for The Times in 1996 that the song was barely adapted into the hit movie Dangerous Minds. It sounded fresher than it actually was.
Coolio’s other hits included “Fantastic Voyage”, the opening song for his debut album, and the Grammy-nominated “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)”. “CU When U Get There,” featuring the duo’s 40 Thevz, was a standout track from his third album, My Soul, in the 1990s.
But nothing matched its success “Gangsta Paradise” With its stabbing beat and ominous background vocals, the song became instantly recognizable to millions of ’90s rap fans, especially with its memorable opening verse.
“When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I look at my life and realize there is nothing left.”
Although the song would expand hip-hop’s commercial potential, Coolio later said he sometimes lamented that the track seemed to overshadow his other work, especially the follow-up album.
yet he said popkiller tv In 2018, the song took him on a “wonderful ride.” Its popularity lasted decades and attracted music videos. Billions or more views on YouTube are rare.
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. was born on August 1, 1963. He grew up in Compton, California. The place is known for producing some of hip-hop’s most successful artists, including Dr. Dre and his Kendrick Lamar.
He said Independent In 1997, when he was a child, he once played a board game with his mother, to whom he later dedicated his success. After his tumultuous youth, he told The Independent that he was a gangbanger, juvenile offender and drug addict in his teens. Coolio worked as a volunteer firefighter.
When he embarked on his music career, he quickly gained a following among the rapidly growing hip-hop fan base, attracted to the music of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious Big, selling 17 million records. We continued to sell more records.
Coolio has since become a staple of reality TV, beginning with the 2008 series Coolio’s Rules, which focused on his personal life and his search for love in Los Angeles.
A complete list of survivors was not immediately available. Coolio had four children with Josefa Salinas, whom he married in 1996 and later divorced.
Years after topping the charts and establishing himself as a mainstream artist, Coolio faced legal troubles and pleaded guilty to: firearm When medicine I will charge
The rapper, who suffered from asthma all his life, served as spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. his official online biographyAt the 2016 NY Brooklyn performance, 6 pages reportedhe had an asthma attack and was saved by a fan who had an inhaler.
Over the past few years, Coolio has noticed his lasting footprint in hip-hop. said in 2018 After years of bemoaning his struggles in the music industry, he realized that “people would kill to take my place.”
“I’m sure it’s been a long time since I left this planet and this dimension,” he said.