Grammy-winning Coolio passes inside L.A. home

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At the age of 59, Coolio, the ’90s rapper who lit up the music charts with hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” has died according to his friend and manager Jarez Posey.

According to CNN, Capt. Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that firefighters and paramedics responded to a call at 4 p.m. local time for reports of a medical emergency. When they arrived at his home, they found an unresponsive male and performed “resuscitation efforts for approximately 45 minutes.”

Coolio’s talent manager, Sheila Finegan, released a statement on his impact, saying, “He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly. Thank 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.”

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Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., came up on the local L.A. hip hop scene in the late 80s, but had his break nationally in 1995 when he released “Gangsta’s Paradise” for the soundtrack of the gritty Michelle Pfeiffer film, “Dangerous Minds.”

The song, which interpolates Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise,” is listed on Billboard’s 100 greatest songs of all time.

Coolio also made a name for himself as an actor, appearing in multiple movies and TV shows over the past two decades, including “Judgment Day,” “Daredevil,” “The Green Hornet” and “Pain & Gain.” He also wrote and performed “Aw, Here It Goes,” the theme song for “Kenan & Kel,” the kid-friendly cult classic comedy sitcom which aired on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000.

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Even in the digital age of streaming, “Gangsta’s Paradise” aged with grace, reaching a milestone one billion views on YouTube.

A man of peace, Coolio was in the industry among the most legendary and violent feuds in hip hop history. After witnessing both Tupac Shakur and Notorius B.I.G. slain, during his 1996 Grammy acceptance speech, Coolio said in part, “I’d like to claim this Grammy on behalf of the whole hip-hop nation, West Coast, East Coast, and worldwide, united we stand, divided we fall.”