Coroner Determines Rapper Coolio’s Cause of Death at Age 59
Rapper Coolio’s death at age 59 was caused by the effects of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Details of the “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage” artist’s cause of death were confirmed by his manager to NBC News. The medical examiner also noted cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body, and asthma under significant conditions.
Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died Sept. 28 at the Los Angeles home of a friend. His death led to an outpouring of tributes by celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.
Coolio, a father of six, won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” that sampled Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise.”
He was nominated for five other Grammys during a career that began in the late-1980s.
Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, where he went to community college. He worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.
His career took off with the 1994 release of his debut album on Tommy Boy Records, “It Takes a Thief.” Its opening track, “Fantastic Voyage,” would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
His estate plans to release a studio album later this year that Coolio had been working on in the days before he died. “Long Live Coolio” will be the first posthumous album release from Coolio and the first single, “TAG ‘You It,’” was released in March, featuring Too $hort and DJ Wino.
Rapper Coolio’s death at age 59 was caused by the effects of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Details of the “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage” artist’s cause of death were confirmed by his manager to NBC News. The medical examiner also noted cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that can make it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body, and asthma under significant conditions.
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In Memoriam
Sep 28, 2022
Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and More Pay Tribute to Coolio After Death at 59
Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died Sept. 28 at the Los Angeles home of a friend. His death led to an outpouring of tributes by celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.
Coolio, a father of six, won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” that sampled Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise.”
He was nominated for five other Grammys during a career that began in the late-1980s.
Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, where he went to community college. He worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.
His career took off with the 1994 release of his debut album on Tommy Boy Records, “It Takes a Thief.” Its opening track, “Fantastic Voyage,” would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
His estate plans to release a studio album later this year that Coolio had been working on in the days before he died. “Long Live Coolio” will be the first posthumous album release from Coolio and the first single, “TAG ‘You It,’” was released in March, featuring Too $hort and DJ Wino.