Coolio, the rapper best known for his UK Number 1 single Gangsta's Paradise, has died aged 59. It's been confirmed that the artist - whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr - passed away while at a friend's house in Los Angeles.
His death was initially confirmed by his long-time manager, and reported to TMZ. Coolio was perhaps best known for Gangsta's Paradise, which hit Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart in 1995.
As the theme song for the film Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, it sampled Steve Wonder's 1976 song Pastime Paradise.
It was a chart-topping hit in the UK for two weeks, and even won Coolio a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance. Earlier this year, Gangsta's Paradise hit 1 billion views on YouTube, proving that even 26 years after its original release, it's haunting lyrics ("as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...") and pristine production have truly become timeless.
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