Current:Home > MyCoolio's Cause of Death Revealed -WealthRoots Academy
Coolio's Cause of Death Revealed
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-10 18:13:35
Coolio's family is sharing what led to his death.
The "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper died due to fentanyl, family spokesperson Jarel (Jarez) Posey told TMZ on April 6. According to the rep, authorities informed Coolio's family that he also had traces of heroin and methamphetamines in his system at the time, and added that his asthma and cigarette use were factors as well.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner has officially ruled his cause of death as an accidental overdose of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, according to an autopsy report obtained by E! News.
Coolio, a father of six, died Sept. 28 at age 59 at a Los Angeles residence. His manager told NBC News later that day, "As far as what I know now is that he was at a friend's house and was in his bathroom and had a heart attack."
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told E! News that paramedics responding to a report of a medical emergency arrived at a home to find a man unresponsive and attempted to resuscitate him for 45 minutes. With consultation with a physician, the star was then pronounced dead.
A rep for the Los Angeles Police Department also said that the man appeared to have died of natural causes and that there were no evidence of foul play. Coolio's identity was later released by the coroner's office.
Many celebs paid tribute to Coolio after news of his death. Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred with the rapper in a music video for his No. 1 single "Gangsta's Paradise" from the soundtrack to her 1995 film Dangerous Minds, wrote on Instagram that she was "heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio." She added, "A life cut entirely too short."
Parody musician Weird Al Yankovic, whose 1996 parody of "Gangsta's Paradise," called "Amish Paradise," once drew criticism from the rapper, shared a photo on Twitter of himself hugging the rapper. In his post, which went viral, he wrote, "RIP Coolio."
Coolio, a native of Los Angeles, began his music career in the late '80s and rose to fame with the breakout single "Fantastic Voyage" from his 1994 debut solo album It Takes a Thief. But it was his single "Gangsta's Paradise" that made him an international superstar, partially thanks to the popularity of its music video, which aired on heavy rotation on MTV and other music channels around the world. The song won the star a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Coolio later released Gangsta's Paradise the album with the single as its lead track. The record, which was certified double Platinum, also contains the hits "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot."
Coolio also appeared on reality TV over the past two decades. In 2008, he starred in his own series, Coolio's Rules. A year later, he was a housemate on season six of Celebrity Big Brother UK and later returned for Ultimate Big Brother. In 2012, he competed on the Food Network series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. The following year, he and his then-girlfriend Mimi appeared on Wife Swap.
Amid his TV endeavors, Coolio continued his music career. In a July interview with the Irish Examiner, he revealed he was working on a collaboration with Christy Dignam of the Irish rock band Aslan.
"It's probably going to be a banger, I would imagine," the rapper told the newspaper. "I don't know if it's going to be dark and deep or if we're going to go clubby and happy—that remains to be seen. I'm more inclined with being dark and deep and still being a banger."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (1979)
Related
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- FBI finds violent crime declined in 2023. Here’s what to know about the report
- How many points did Caitlin Clark score in WNBA playoff debut with Indiana Fever?
- California fire agency engineer arrested, suspected of starting 5 wildfires
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark are unanimous choices for WNBA AP Player and Rookie of the Year
- Feds: Man accused in apparent assassination attempt wrote note indicating he intended to kill Trump
- Week 3 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Falcons vs. Chiefs live updates: How to watch, predictions for 'Sunday Night Football'
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- When does daylight saving time start and end in 2024? What to know about the time change
- Selena Gomez Explains Why She Shared She Can't Carry Her Own Child
- When does daylight saving time start and end in 2024? What to know about the time change
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- A vandal’s rampage at a Maine car dealership causes thousands in damage to 75 vehicles
- Falcons vs. Chiefs live updates: How to watch, predictions for 'Sunday Night Football'
- WNBA playoff picks: Will the Indiana Fever advance and will the Aces repeat?
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Are Trump and Harris particularly Christian? That’s not what most Americans would say: AP-NORC poll
Excellence Vanguard Wealth Business School: The Investment Legend of Milton Reese
IndyCar finalizes charter system that doesn’t guarantee spots in Indianapolis 500
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
What to know about cortisol, the hormone TikTokers say you need to balance
Mom of suspect in Georgia school shooting indicted and is accused of taping a parent to a chair
Microsoft announces plan to reopen Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to support AI