Musicmaking: A life lived. Coolio died in September 2022 at the ripe old age of 59 after a long career as a rapper and record producer.
“We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon,” a rep for the “Fantastic Voyage” artist told Us WeeklyAfter his death. “He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly. We are grateful to everyone who listened to his music around the world and to everyone who reached out to us regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Hours later, Coolio’s longtime manager Jarez PoseySubmitted TMZAnd Rolling Stone that paramedics believed cardiac arrest caused the rapper’s death.
The California native began his music career in the ‘80s and achieved mainstream success the following decade, winning a Grammy Award for Rap Solo Performance in 1996 for “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
“It’s one of those kinds of songs that transcends generations,” the Cookin’ With CoolioThe track was mentioned by the author in a July 2022 interview. The Six O’Clock Show. “I didn’t use any trendy words … I think it made it timeless.”
The opening song of the Nickelodeon 1996 show was also performed by the musician. Kenan & Kel. Kenan ThompsonThe comedian, who starred in the series, paid tribute to the rapper after his passing. “Damn homie!!! Rest in power!!” he wrote via his Instagram Story alongside a photo of the “C U When U Get There” artist.
Coolio is well-known for his playful approach on heavy subjects. However, he was open about his drug addiction in the years that preceded his success as a rapper.
“Up to the mid-’80s, I was into cocaine,” he told the Los Angeles Times1994. “I was a wild man then — real crazy. I was known for doing crazy stuff, such as hitting people with bottles and stuff. That happens when you grow up in Compton … you survive how you can. Drugs are just one hazard. I fell in … deep.”
The “It Takes a Thief” musician was married to radio broadcaster Josefa Salinas1996 to 2000. They have four children together: Artisha (Brandi), Jackie, and Artis. According to The Sun, Celebrity Big BrotherAlum had six to ten children with multiple women.
Coolio’s four children with Salinas appeared on his short-lived 2008 reality series Coolio’s Rules.
“I’m just trying to approach things from a different way,” the “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” artist told the Daily NewsWhile promoting the show, he was interviewed in October 2008. “I’m trying to have a fresh perspective on dealing with kids because kids today have to deal with so much more than what I had to deal with when I was their age.”
Scroll through for a look back at Coolio’s life through the years:
