Known for his ’90s hits Gangsta's Paradise and Fantastic Voyage, rapper Coolio died at 59, confirmed Entertainment Weekly.
Jarez Posey, manager to the Grammy-winning rapper, first shared news of Coolio’s death with TMZ, saying the musician had gone into the bathroom at a friend’s house and was later found on the floor unresponsive.
In a statement to EW, Sheila Finegan, his manager at Trinity Artists International shared, “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. 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.”
The news came as a shock to many friends and colleagues of the acclaimed rapper.
Fellow rapper Ice Cube, who collaborated with Coolio on numerous songs tweeted, “This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace.”
In 1995, Coolio appeared on the soundtrack to the Michelle Pfeiffer film Dangerous Minds with the hit. The actress posted a clip from the song and captioned it: “Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist coolio. A life cut entirely too short. As some of you may know I was lucky enough to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He won a Grammy for his brilliant song on the soundtrack - which I think was the reason our film saw so much success. I remember him being nothing but gracious. 30 years later I still get chills when I hear the song. Sending love and light to his family. Rest in Power, Artis Leon Ivey Jr. [heart emoji]”
Melissa Joan Hart also posted a photo of her and Coolio from a time he appeared on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
She captioned the image, "I had the amazing honor to work and play with coolio a few times and he was always down for a chat, a complete gentleman and a ton of fun to hang with. What a loss! Rest In Peace!"
Actor and comedian Martin Lawrence also paid tribute to the late rapper. He wrote, "My deepest condolences and prayers go out to the family of Coolio #rip" via Twitter.
Coolio's fellow rapper LL Cool J shared a message on social media that read, "Rest in power my brother . Coolio Love & Respect."
While the cause of death hasn’t been confirmed, medics believe the rapper went into cardiac arrest.
Coolio is survived by his six children and ex-wife, Josefa Salina.