«Death ain’t nothin’ but a heartbeat away». Death is just a heartbeat away. The interpreter of these words, which echo in the tube Gangsta’s Paradise, is not anymore. American rapper Coolio is dead, his manager announced overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. He was 59 years old. The cause of death is not immediately known. Jarez Posey, the rapper’s longtime friend and manager, told TMZ that Coolio was found unconscious in a friend’s bathroom in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon.
Born August 1, 1963 as Artis Leon Ivey Jr in Pennsylvania, the artist spent most of his life in Compton, California, where he was educated and held various jobs, including security airport, before finding success thanks to rap. His musical career began in the late 1980s, taking root in Los Angeles, Mecca of west-coast rap, after signing with Tommy Boy Records.
“I have not written Gangsta’s Paradise. She wrote to me”
Son single Fantastic Voyagetaken from his first studio album It Takes a Thiefrose to third place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But it is with Gangsta’s Paradise, the following year, that Coolio made a name for himself. The rapper became world famous in 1995 when he released this title for the film’s soundtrack Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer. It became the year’s top single and earned Coolio a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. With a melody taken from the title Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder, the hit sold millions of copies worldwide, reaching the top of the pop music charts in 16 countries.
“I have not written Gangsta’s Paradise. She was the one who wrote to me… It was her own entity, out there in the spirit world, trying to make its way into the world, and she chose me as her vessel”assured Coolio in an interview given more than ten years after the release of his title on the British show The Voice. “I never thought it would spread like it did, touching all ages, races, genders, countries and generations”he said.
Coolio subsequently never replicated the success of his flagship title, but released hits like 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New) et Too Hot. An endearing gangsta rap star, Coolio has seen his popularity grow thanks to colorful music videos. He then embarked on an acting career, notably landing a role in Batman and Robin in 1997 and making several appearances on television, notably in the seminal series of the 1990s A nanny from hell.