The possible cause of death of Coolio, the 'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper, at 59

What did Coolio die of?
Severe asthma may have triggered his death
He always needed inhalers
High risk of heart attack
A rap legend is gone
Official confirmation on CNN
It happened at a friend's house
What happened?
He went into the bathroom and never came out
He was lying on the floor
Pronounced dead
No traces of substances
Cardiac arrest
Ongoing police investigation
Waiting for the coroner
'Gangsta's Paradise'
One of the best songs of the 90s
A memorable video
Success on YouTube
Millionaire figures
The reason that led him to music
Goodbye to a rap legend
What did Coolio die of?

"Happy and healthy." Coolio's entourage assures that the rapper was in good shape the day before he unexpectedly passed away. So, what could have been the cause of his death?

Severe asthma may have triggered his death

TMZ talked to Coolio's entourage about the possible cause of his death, and they all agree on one point: Coolio had severe asthma. He had been suffering from the lung disease for years.

He always needed inhalers

The artist's own family told authorities about his complicated history with asthma. Coolio even had to carry several inhalers with him at all times. He even used them on stage in the middle of a concert.

High risk of heart attack

According to the American Heart Association, people with severe asthma who use specific medications for this ailment have a 60% increased risk of suffering heart attacks or cardiovascular accidents.

A rap legend is gone

Either way, the death of music legend Coolio was sudden and shocking. He died on September 28 in Los Angeles at the age of 59.

Official confirmation on CNN

His friend and manager, Jarel Posey, confirmed the news to CNN. He didn't go into too many details about what had happened to the rapper.

It happened at a friend's house

Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio's real name, was at a friend's house when he died, TMZ reports.

What happened?

TMZ reported that the circumstances surrounding the rapper's death were strange.

He went into the bathroom and never came out

According to the aforementioned media outlet, Coolio had gone into the bathroom at his friend's house in Los Angeles. Then, he stayed there for longer than usual.

He was lying on the floor

Seeing that he didn't come out and that he did not respond to calls from outside, his friend forced his way into the bathroom and found Coolio lying on the floor.

Pronounced dead

When rescue services arrived at the house, they quickly determined that Coolio had died. It was Wednesday afternoon, September 28.

No traces of substances

Police sources told TMZ that they had found no traces of substances or paraphernalia at the place of death -  specifically in the bathroom.

Cardiac arrest

In fact, TMZ reported that the paramedics assumed the rapper had a sudden cardiac arrest and that this was the most likely cause of death. As became known later, his severe asthma may have been the trigger for his alleged heart attack.

Ongoing police investigation

Regardless of the lack of suspicious materials at the scene, police will investigate what exactly happened that caused the life of Coolio to end so suddenly.

Waiting for the coroner

Many will anxiously await the autopsy to determine the official cause of death. Coolio was a known musician who achieved absolute glory in the 90s.

'Gangsta's Paradise'

After several years of trying to make it in the music business, Coolio released 'Gangsta's Paradise' in 1995. The song was part of the soundtrack of 'Dangerous Minds,' the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. 'Gangsta's Paradise is an adapted cover of Stevie Wonder's song 'Pastime Paradise.'

One of the best songs of the 90s

'Gangsta's Paradise' was number 1 on 21 music charts around the world, including the American Billboard chart. Coolio won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance and was nominated for Best Recording of the Year with the iconic song.

A memorable video

The music video, directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring scenes from the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer, gave a boost to the popularity of both the film and the song. It became one of the most influential music videos of the 1990s, at the height of the MTV and music video boom.

Success on YouTube

It came out long before YouTube existed, but by now the video has already exceeded a billion views on the platform.

Millionaire figures

At the time of his death, the rapper was still active. According to his website, he had sold more than 17 million copies of his albums. His tracks had been played over a billion times on Spotify.

The reason that led him to music

As Coolio told the Los Angeles Times in 1994, his music career arose as "a way to stay clean" and prevent substances from ending his life. Coolio also turned his life around by becoming a firefighter when he was in his twenties.

Goodbye to a rap legend

It's not surprising, therefore, that authorities and media are ruling out substance abuse as a cause of Coolio's death. In the end, however, it is the coroner who has the last word.

 

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