Coolio is dead at 59, according to TMZ. The outlet has reported that manager Jarez said that the rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was found on the bathroom floor of a friend’s house on Wednesday, September 21, after excusing himself. His friend called for him and then eventually checked and called EMTs. Coolio was pronounced dead on the scene with EMTs suspecting that he suffered cardiac arrest.
There’s no further information at this time, but fans are mourning on Twitter and sharing their favorite Coolio songs, including the Kenan & Kel theme song. He was most known for being a rapper, especially for his ’90s albums It Takes a Thief, Gangsta’s Paradise, and My Soul. He was also a record producer and actor.
In our 2016 interview with him, we asked what he wanted to be remembered for when he was gone. He answered, “Hey, the only thing I truly wanna be remembered for: I want people to say that he was a real motherf*cker that was hella cool. I wanna be remembered for just being a cool ass person. And being intelligent. If people don’t remember my music, my cooking, or my film work, it doesn’t matter. I just want people to say, ‘That was a cool motherf*cker and he always tried to educate me. He was always talking about something that was gonna make me a better person.’ I said it once and I will say it again: Don’t do as I do, do as I say. I’ve made hella mistakes in my life, and I’ll probably make some more. Those that I try to teach, they’re not allowed to make the same mistakes that I’ve made — that’s why I’ve made them so you don’t have to.”