Coolio dead at 59: Michelle Pfeiffer leads tributes to ‘gifted’ Gangsta’s Paradise rapper who died after ‘cardiac arrest’ at friend’s LA home
- The musician was visiting a friend on Wednesday afternoon when he was found dead according to TMZ
- The star’s manager, Jarez, shared that Coolio was found unresponsive on a bathroom floor, with the paramedics suspecting he suffered a cardiac arrest
- The publication reported that the EMTs pronounced Coolio dead on the scene
- An official cause of death has not been determined
- Additionally, law enforcement sources shared that ‘no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene of Coolio’s death’ and that ‘an autopsy and toxicology test will be used to determine an official cause of death’
- The police have reportedly opened a death investigation but there does not appear to be signs of foul play at the moment, and the coroner is expected to make a final determination after the autopsy
- Coolio is survived by his six children and ex-wife, Josefa Salinas, whom he married in 1996. The former couple split four years later
- The star is perhaps best known for his ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ hit song on the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film ‘Dangerous Minds’
Rapper Coolio has passed away on Wednesday at the age of 59.
The musician – famous for his hit song Gangsta’s Paradise on the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, Dangerous Minds – was visiting a friend on Wednesday afternoon when he was found dead according to TMZ.
Coolio was found unresponsive on a bathroom floor, with the paramedics – who were called to the scene around around 4 PM – suspecting he suffered a cardiac arrest, according to the star’s longtime manager, Jarez.
The publication reported that the EMTs pronounced Coolio dead on the scene. An official cause of death has not been determined.
Additionally, law enforcement sources shared with TMZ that ‘no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene of Coolio’s death’ and that ‘an autopsy and toxicology test will be used to determine an official cause of death.’
The police have reportedly opened a death investigation but there does not appear to be signs of foul play at the moment, and the coroner is expected to make a final determination after the autopsy.
Tribute: Michelle Pfeiffer, 64, lead tributes to the rapper, sharing a video montage from Dangerous Minds with the caption: ‘Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio. A life cut entirely too short’
He was also seen looking healthy earlier in April at the airport in Sydney where he generously stopped to take photos with fans, ahead of his concert at Luna Park.
The rapper has toured smaller venues throughout the United States over the past few years, playing a number of hits from his back catalogue.
The hip-hop artist – born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. – enjoyed a meteoric rise in the mid-90s.
