Grammy Award winning rapper Coolio passed away Wednesday at the age of 59.
His longtime manager reported the artist died at the home of a friend in Los Angeles.
Who doesn’t sing out loud to “Gangsta’s Paradise” from the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds?!
In 1996, Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for the song which samples Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise”
In July of this year, the track reached one billion views on YouTube.
Some of his other hits include “Fantastic Voyage” and “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New).”
He also provided the theme music for the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel.
Later he took on a few acting appearances and became somewhat of a reality show staple, even briefly headlining his own reality television show about his family called “Coolio’s Rules.”
Fellow celebrities reacted to his passing:
Michelle Pfeiffer, star of Dangerous Minds, wrote in an Instagram post: “Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio. A life cut entirely too short.”
On Twitter, rapper and actor Ice Cube said: “This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace @Coolio”.
Snoop Dogg shared: “Gangstas paradise. R I P”.
Singer Bret Michaels said: “My deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and fans on the loss of @Coolio. Awesome guy who will be missed.”
