what we know about the circumstances of the rapper’s death

DEAD COOLIO. The investigation into the circumstances of the death of rapper Coolio, author of “Gangsta’s Paradise”, is still ongoing, after his sudden death.

Summary

[Mis à jour le 1er octobre à 14h05] Rapper Coolio died at age 59 on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. He was found unconscious in a friend’s bathroom in Los Angeles. The emergency services could not revive the artist to whom we owe Gangsta’s Paradisethe soundtrack of the film Rebel Minds. The day after his death, an inquest was opened to determine the circumstances of Coolio’s sudden death.

According to the American tabloid TMZ, according to the first elements, a heart attack would explain the death of Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, whose relief found death on arriving on the spot. No drug was found and the doctors favor the heart attack. For the time being, no official cause of death has been communicated by the singer’s entourage.

“We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client Coolio, who passed away this afternoon. He touched the world with his talent and will be deeply missed,” said Sheila Finegan, his manager at Trinity Artists International, in a statement. broadcast by the specialized site Variety. Thank you to all those around the world who listened to his music and to all those who reached out to us after his passing. Please think and pray for Coolio’s loved ones.”

According to TMZ, the rapper was doing well a few days before his death. He was even spotted at the Houston airport taking selfies with fans who recognized him. One of them told the tabloid: “He was happy to take pictures with us. He joked with us and we were able to chat with him.” Others have even been invited by Coolio to his next concert. The investigation is still ongoing and no official announcement on the circumstances of the rapper’s death has been communicated.

What caused Coolio’s death?

Coolio’s death was made public by the American specialized site TMZ. His manager, Jarez Posey, said the rapper went to a friend’s house in Los Angeles (United States) on Wednesday during the day. During his visit, he went into the bathroom of this house, without ever coming out. Worried not to see him return, the person with whom he was, whose identity has not been revealed, then discovered him lifeless on the ground. Despite the intervention of the emergency services, Coolio died on the spot. The causes of his death are not yet known. When help arrived, who hypothesized a cardiac arrest, the rapper was dead.

While an investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances of this death, it appears, according to the first elements reported by the TMZ site, that no drugs or narcotic “consumption equipment” were found at the place of the death of the rapper. At this stage, the criminal trail also seems to have been ruled out, because no sign of such an act seems to have been perceived by the investigators. An autopsy will be performed on the body of the victim, as well as a toxicological test to try to shed light on the reasons for this sudden death.

Tributes to Coolio

Since the announcement of the disappearance of rapper Coolio, it is the world rap which mourns one of its most famous faces. “I am heartbroken over the passing of talented artist Coolio. Gone far too soon. As some of you know, I had the good fortune to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He had won a Grammy thanks to this brilliant song used for the soundtrack, which contributed greatly to the success of the film in my opinion. I remember an extremely kind man. 30 years later, I still have chills when I hear this song”, writes for example the American actress Michelle Pfeiffer, when Ice Cube deplores “sad news”. Juicy J underlines the “legend” that was Coolio , when MC Hammer wrote, “He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met in my life. A real good guy.”

The rapper Coolio therefore mainly made himself known thanks to his title Gangsta’s Paradise. A hit released on August 9, 1995 which propelled him to the front of the stage, selling more than 6 million copies that year, the best annual figure. Adapted from Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder, the song evokes the life of gangsters. Dark lyrics that made him world famous and allowed him to win a Grammy Award in 1996 in the Best Solo Rap Performance category.

Biography of Coolio

Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, was born on August 1, 1963 in Compton, California. It was in 1994 that he really got into music with the release of his first solo album, It takes a Thief. But it’s really a year later that he is placed on the front of the stage with his planetary title “Gangsta’s Paradise”. A second album follows, of the same name, then a third, My Soul, in 1997. But the latter did not achieve the expected success, signing the end of the rapper’s career. Subsequently, he made several appearances on TV by participating in British reality TV shows, but also in the Angels of reality TV, French program, in 2011. Coolio also had some legal troubles, including the looting of a store of clothing in 1997, the attack on his then-partner in 2013, or the possession of a loaded and stolen firearm in 2016.

From 2004 to 2007, Coolio was in a relationship with Afida Turner, the extravagant French reality TV personality who rose to fame in “Le loft” and who had fled to the United States. Of their relationship, very few elements have leaked, except that it was tumultuous and interspersed with several ruptures, before a definitive end. Since then, the two have crossed paths several times, not hesitating to let it be known on social networks. Afida Turner posted a photo with Coolio on her Instagram account on Thursday, following news of her death. “My god, Artis no! Coolio! Rest in peace” she simply wrote.

And to tell, in the columns of Le Parisien: “With Artis, we had remained very close friends. We had seen each other again last April in Miami, we had made a video together. He lived in Las Vegas but each time he was in Miami, he called me and asked me to join him (…) We did stuff in the studio together, we recorded a song (…) He was still extremely in demand, gave shows from Tuesday to Friday around the world, I accompanied him sometimes.”

Who were the women of Coolio?

If he made himself known thanks to the tube Gangsta’s Paradise, rapper Coolio has also been talked about a lot for his private life. As we have said, the artist was in a relationship with Afida Turner in the 2000s, but also, before her, with Josefa Salinas, whom he had married in 1996 to divorce in 2000. Coolio was also married to Mary Shittu, a model. The media The Sun reports other names of the rapper’s former companions, in particular Mimi Ivey and Anabella Bellesi.

From these different relationships were born many children: four with Josefa Salinas (three girls, Artisha, Brandi and Jackie and a boy, Artis), but also six others born of different unions: Grtis Ivey, Milan Ivey, Darius Ivey, Zhaneand Ivey, Kate Ivey and Shayne Ivey.

Coolio, in trouble with the law

If the private life of the rapper has caused so much ink to flow, it is also because Coolio was known by the judicial services for accusations of violence. In April 2013, according to the American press, the rapper allegedly hit his girlfriend at the time, Anabella and ran over her with his car. The case was eventually dismissed, due to lack of evidence against Coolio.