Rapper Coolio is dead | music | DW

 Rapper Coolio is dead |  music |  DW

“As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/ I take a look at my life and realize there’s not much left” there isn’t much left of it”).

When the strings hit the first notes of “Gangsta’s Paradise” and a confident, cool dude raps the first verses, some who were teenagers in the 1990s get goosebumps today. Coolio is dead: the gangsta rapper who provided the theme song for the movie ‘Dangerous Minds’ which hit theaters in 1995. Leading actress Michelle Pfeiffer plays an English teacher who tries to get disadvantaged young people off the streets with the help of literature and to prevent them from becoming petty criminals.

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer was among the first celebrities to offer their condolences on social media. It breaks her heart that Coolio “left us so early”. He was only 59 years old. The exact cause of death is still unknown. Apparently, the rapper was last at a friend’s house and was found unconscious in the bathroom. His manager Susan Heber announced that much on Wednesday (09/29/2022). Coolio’s friend and longtime manager Jarez Posey confirmed his death but gave no further details.

Career highlight with “Gangsta’s Paradise”

“Gangsta’s Paradise,” for which Coolio sampled Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” (1976), remained his biggest hit. The song sold millions of copies worldwide and reached number 1 on the charts in 16 countries. Coolio won a Grammy and two awards at the MTV Video Music Awards for the song.

The 1990s saw the Los Angeles rapper take off. Artis Leon Ivey Jr., as his real name was, wrote his first lyrics as a teenager, eventually established himself as a gangsta rapper and got involved in the feud between the rappers of the east and west coasts of the USA, the sad climax of which was the murders of the Rapper Tupac Shakur and The Notorious BIG were.

Flew high, fell low

After the turn of the millennium, he was no longer able to build on his earlier successes. At the end of the 1990s he tried to pursue his second career as an actor, but even that was only moderate. His last album was released in 2006, but it flopped.

Coolio didn’t just let the gangsta hang out musically. According to media reports, he had drug problems and became violent again and again. In Germany in 1998 he was given a six-month suspended sentence and a $30,000 fine for hitting a boutique owner. He leaves behind several children by different women.

Condolences from colleagues and companions

Despite everything, with “Gangsta’s Paradise” he created a classic that will be remembered. Many of his companions are shocked by the sudden death. Rapper and actor Ice Cube tweeted, “This is sad news. I’ve witnessed firsthand this man’s rise to the top of the industry. Rest in peace.” Drummer and hip-hop producer Questlove wishes him “a peaceful journey”. US musician Bret Michaels also sent his condolences via Twitter and called him a great guy who we will miss.


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