Photo Credit: Coolio/Instagram
One of the most distinct rappers of the 90s is Coolio, as much for his lyrical style as his looks, passed away Wednesday afternoon at 59 according to friend and manager Jarez Posey. He was visiting a friend in L.A. and had been found on the bathroom floor after not responding to his name being called. He apparently had suffered a cardiac arrest. The cause of death, however is not yet official.
Known for his hits Gangsta’s Paradise and Fantastic Voyage, he actually didn’t set out to have a career in rap and simply wanted to get clean. He apparently had been a crack addict and felt it was going to kill him if he didn’t. The Monessen, Pennsylvania native had moved to Compton where he attended community college and went on to become a firefighter as a means of cleaning himself up. It was just 4 years from his debut album until his massive hit Gangsta’s Paradise was recorded which has gone on to become one of Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All Time and was the biggest selling single of 1995.
Despite being described as a gangsta rap artist, it’s a term he’s never agreed with. He told The Independent, “Gangsta rap is a derogatory label. We was rapping about our reality. They should have been calling it reality rap, or street rap, inner city rap. They just chose to call it gangsta rap to make people afraid of it. I don’t consider myself a gangsta rapper. But I’m probably more qualified to be a gangsta rapper than people who call themselves that. I’ve been through that life.”
