LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Reuters) – Grammy-winning rapper Coolio died of a fentanyl overdose, his manager said on Thursday, six months after the musician was found dead at a friend’s home in Los Angeles at the age of 59. .
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., Coolio is best known for his 1995 single “Gangsta’s Paradise,” from an album of the same name.
That song, a huge hit featured in the movie “Dangerous Minds,” won a Grammy Award for best rap solo performance the following year.
Coolio’s manager, Jarez Posey, said the rapper’s family was notified Thursday by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office that the singer died of a fentanyl overdose.
[1/2] Singer Coolio performs before a panel discussion on his new Oxygen Network reality series “Coolio’s Rules” at the NBC Universal summer 2008 press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 20, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo
The coroner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Posey said the rapper’s children plan to honor their father in future documentaries and film projects.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1963, Coolio began performing as part of the West Coast hip-hop scene after moving to Compton, California.
He released his debut album, “It Takes a Thief”, in 1994, which scored a Top Ten hit with the single “Lakeside.”
Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Sandra Maler
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