Pop Culture

Published September 29, 2022

Gangsta's Paradise Rapper Coolio dead at 59: Michelle Pfeiffer and "Weird" Al Yankovic pay tribute to late artist

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Coolio- AP- Rob Grabowski

One of the biggest stars of 90's Hip Hop has died.

Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., passed away Wednesday afternoon at 59 years old.

Reports say he was visiting a friend's home and was found unresponsive in the bathroom.

According to TMZ, no drugs or foul play are suspected. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Coolio rose to fame in 1995 with his hit "Gangsta's Paradise."

The hit was sampled from Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Past Time Paradise."

The song was prominently featured in the movie "Dangerous Minds," starring Michelle Pfeiffer, and earned him a Grammy for best solo rap performance.

Tributes have flooded social media, including Weird Al Yankovic sharing this sweet image.

Yankovic parodied "Gangsta's Paradise" in 1996 with his version " Amish Paradise."

At first Coolio was upset with the parody, but the two eventually patched things up.

Coolio and weird al
Coolio and "Weird" Al Yankovic at the MTV video music awards. Photo from YouTube

Coolio's subsequent hits included "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" in 1996 and "C U When U Get There" in 1997.

Coolio stated that he knew he wanted to be a rapper from when he was a teen.

However, he made sure he had an education to fall back on.

Before going into the music business, he earned an associate's degree, worked as a volunteer firefighter, and in airport security.

He leaves behind six children.

feature image provided by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File

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