Rapper Coolio has passed away at the age of 59. He was best known for his smash hits “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.”

Coolio’s manager Jarez confirmed the news to TMZ, adding that he passed away on Wednesday afternoon while he was visiting a buddy (September 28). No cause of death has been announced as of yet, but his death appears to be sudden and unexpected.

Coolio was a prolific rapper in the 1990s, with “Gangsta’s Paradise” becoming one of the most iconic rap songs of all time. He also had a successful acting career, appearing in films such as “Boyz n the Hood” and “Dangerous Ground.” In recent years, he had been touring extensively and appeared on reality TV shows such as “Celebrity Big Brother UK.”

According to reports, the Grammy-winning artist left for the bathroom but didn’t return. The friend searched for the 59-year old and found him on the floor of the bathroom.

Paramedics confirmed that he was dead when they arrived at the scene a few minutes later. Jarez stated that although no official announcement has been made about the cause of his death, paramedics believe he suffered a heart attack.

Coolio was born Artis Len Ivey Jr. in Los Angeles. He broke into the rap world in the 1980s.

His career was launched with “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which was featured in the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It debuted at No. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for three consecutive weeks.

Coolio has continued touring throughout his career. He was most recently accompanied by Vanilla Ice, Young MC and Kid-N-Play. Coolio spoke to Minnesota Daily in 2010 about his motivation for performing after all these many years.

I like to rap, he declared. My family is very musical. Three of my brothers rap, my son sings and my nephew raps. We are quite inventive. We are creative and have strong genes. My family is what keeps my going, man. They trust me, love what I do, and respect my decisions.

He also talked about how his live performances have changed. He said that he is more controlled than he was back then. This energy-collecting dynamo can best describe it. I absorb the energy of the crowd and then, just as they begin to feel tired, fall asleep, or pass out, I make it into a crescendo and fire it back at them. The crowd is energized, ready to sleep, and I’m ready to go.

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