CNN
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90s rapper Coolio, whose hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage” rocked the music charts, has died, his friend and manager Jareth Posey told CNN. he was 59 years old.
Posey said Coolio died Wednesday afternoon.
The details of the situation were not immediately clear.
When contacted by CNN, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Eric Scott confirmed that firefighters and paramedics answered calls at 4 p.m. local time at the 2900 block on South Chesapeake Avenue to report a medical emergency. did. When they arrived, they found the unresponsive man and performed “about 45 minutes of resuscitation efforts.”
The patient was “deceased just before 5 p.m.,” Scott said.
Coolio’s talent manager Sheila Finnegan told CNN, “We are saddened to hear that our dear friend and client Coolio passed away this afternoon.
“He touched the world with his gift of talent and will be deeply missed. Thank you to everyone around the world who listened to his music and to everyone who contacted us about his passing. Please think and pray for Coolio’s loved ones.”
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips also expressed his condolences by sharing his memories with the artist.
“I am completely stunned. Coolio was a friend and one of the warmest, funniest people I have ever met. We had a great time together making Red Water in Cape Town. He was one of a kind and we will miss him, magnificent and legendary,” Phillips said. Tweet.
Former NBA player Matt Bonner also recalled his time with Coolio and said: Twitter post The rapper was “a huge fan… I hosted him at a game a few years ago… the biggest crowd ever at a Spurs overtime concert.”
According to his bio, Coolio grew up in Compton, California. Official website.
speak to 1994 Los Angeles Timeshe recalled falling into the drug scene, but extricating himself by pursuing a career as a firefighter.
“I wasn’t looking for a career, I was looking for a way to clean up – I was looking for a way to get off drugs,” he told the publication. Fire drill had the discipline I needed, we ran every day, we didn’t drink, we didn’t smoke, we didn’t do our usual things .”
His rap career began in the 80’s and he made a name for himself in the underground scene.
“Fantastic Voyage” was the first song that really made him famous.
From the soundtrack to the movie ‘Dangerous Minds’, arguably his greatest song ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ has grown his star power to enormous proportions. In 1996, the song won a Grammy Award.
In the age of streaming, it has lived on. July 2022, this song reached a milestone 1 billion views on youtube.
“This is one of those kind of songs that crosses generations,” he said in a recent interview. interview“I didn’t use any buzzwords…I think it’s become timeless.”
Through his career, Coolio has sold over 17 million records, according to his website.
Coolio also has a special place in the hearts of some millennials through his work on the theme song for the popular Nickelodeon television series Kenan and Kell and his contribution to the album Dexter’s Laboratory: The Hip-Hop Experiment featuring the song. occupies a good position. Cartoon Network’s animations are by various hip hop artists who inspired his series.
In recent years, Coolio has enjoyed the perks of being a nostalgic figure, appearing on TV shows like ‘Celebrity Cook Off’ and ‘Celebrity Chopped’.
He also had the Oxygen show Coolio’s Rules, which aired in 2008.