Rapper Coolio’s cause of death has been confirmed. A family spokesperson revealed Thursday that the star was killed by fentanyl…
Coolio, the interpreter of Gangsta’s Paradise, who died at the age of 59 last September, was allegedly killed by fentanyl. A family representative for star 1990s rapper Jarel (Jarez) Posey told online gossip media TMZ on Thursday that traces of the powerful opioid painkiller, used as a drug and far more potent than heroin or morphine , had been found.
This relative of Coolio also indicated that the investigators had also detected traces of heroin and methamphetamines in his body at the time of his death. The star’s severe asthma, as well as decades of smoking, also played a role in his death, as his body was unable to defend itself, according to these revelations.
At the time of Coolio’s death, sources said no drugs or materials were found at the scene. Coolio died at a friend’s house in Los Angeles on September 29, 2022. He was not responding to calls asking him to come out of the bathroom where he had walled himself in. The lack of response had prompted his host to go see the star, where he had found her lying on the ground.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, was born on August 1, 1963 in Compton, California. It was in 1994 that he really got into music with the release of his first solo album, It takes a Thief. But it’s really a year later that he is placed on the front of the stage with his planetary title “Gangsta’s Paradise”. A second album follows, of the same name, then a third, my soulin 1997. But the latter did not achieve the expected success, signing the end of the rapper’s career.
Subsequently, he made several appearances on TV by participating in British reality TV shows, but also in the Angels of reality TV, French program, in 2011. Coolio also had some legal troubles, including the looting of a store of clothing in 1997, the attack on his then-partner in 2013, or the possession of a loaded and stolen firearm in 2016.
Gangsta’s Paradisea worldwide success
The rapper Coolio therefore mainly made himself known thanks to his title Gangsta’s Paradise. A hit released on August 9, 1995 which propelled him to the front of the stage, selling more than 6 million copies that year, the best annual figure. Adapted from Pastime Paradise of Stevie Wonder, the song evokes the life of gangsters. Dark lyrics that made him world famous and allowed him to win a Grammy Award in 1996 in the Best Solo Rap Performance category.
Who were the women of Coolio?
If he made himself known thanks to the tube Gangsta’s Paradise, rapper Coolio has also been talked about a lot for his private life. As we have said, the artist was in a relationship with Afida Turner in the 2000s, but also, before her, with Josefa Salinas, whom he had married in 1996 to divorce in 2000. Coolio was also married to Mary Shittu, a model. The media The Sun reports other names of the rapper’s former companions, in particular Mimi Ivey and Anabella Bellesi.
From these different relationships were born many children: four with Josefa Salinas (three girls, Artisha, Brandi and Jackie and a boy, Artis), but also six others born of different unions: Grtis Ivey, Milan Ivey, Darius Ivey, Zhaneand Ivey, Kate Ivey and Shayne Ivey.
Coolio, in trouble with the law
If the private life of the rapper has caused so much ink to flow, it is also because Coolio was known by the judicial services for accusations of violence. In April 2013, according to the American press, the rapper allegedly hit his girlfriend at the time, Anabella and ran over her with his car. The case was eventually dismissed, due to lack of evidence against Coolio.
Circumstances of Coolio’s death
Coolio’s death was made public by the American specialized site TMZon the night of Wednesday September 28 to Thursday September 29, 2022. His manager, Jarez Posey, indicated that the rapper had gone to a friend’s house in Los Angeles (United States), the day before.
During his visit, Coolio went into the bathroom of this house, without ever coming out. Worried not to see him return, the person with whom he was, and whose identity has not been revealed, then discovered him lifeless on the ground. After trying to save him by performing CPR for 45 minutes, rescuers declared him officially dead. The hypothesis of a cardiac arrest is then advanced.
How did Coolio die?
A “suspected cardiac arrest.” Nearly a week after the sudden death of American rapper Coolio, the circumstances of the death are becoming clearer. According to the American media DailyMailwho site his manager, the interpreter of Gangsta’s Paradise reportedly died of “suspected cardiac arrest”. Eric Yano, a longtime friend of the 59-year-old artist, assures the American site that he has never seen the rapper “drink, smoke or take substances during their 18 years of friendship.”
The day after his death, an investigation was opened to determine the circumstances of Coolio’s death. The tabloid TMZ reports then that no drugs or narcotic “consumer equipment” were found at the scene of the rapper’s death. The criminal track was also ruled out, because no sign of such an act had been perceived by the investigators. An autopsy was performed on the victim’s body, as well as a toxicological test.
Yet in April 2023, the family representative of star 1990s rapper Jarel (Jarez) Posey told online gossip TMZ that traces of fentanyl, a powerful opioid painkiller used as a drug and far more potent than heroin or morphine had been found in the star’s body.
Tributes to Coolio
After the announcement of the disappearance of rapper Coolio, world rap mourned one of its most famous faces. “I am heartbroken over the passing of talented artist Coolio. Gone far too soon. As some of you know, I had the good fortune to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He had won a Grammy thanks to this brilliant song used for the soundtrack, which contributed greatly to the success of the film in my opinion. I remember an extremely kind man. 30 years later, I still have chills when I hear this song”, wrote for example the American actress Michelle Pfeifferwhen Ice Cube lamented “sad news”.
MC Hammer for his part had summarized: “He was one of the nicest guys I’ve met in my life. A real good guy.”