A coroner in Los Angeles has confirmed that Coolio died from an accidental drug overdose.
The musician, most famous for his song ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, died last September in California at the age of 59.
At the time of his death, the coroner confirmed that Coolio – real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr. – had been suffering from both heart disease and asthma and had been using PCP – or phencyclidine – in the recent time before his death.
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The coroner confirmed that his death was caused by the effects of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in an announcement on Thursday.
He died at a house belonging to one of his friends on September 28, being pronounced dead at the scene when emergency responders arrived.
His death has been deemed accidental.
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Coolio was born in Pennsylvania but grew up living in Compton, Los Angeles.
Selling millions of records during his long career, he became most famous for his hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ which went to number one in many countries around the world.
The song was also featured in the film Dangerous Minds, which boosted its popularity.
It was nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards, as well as taking home the award for Best Solo Rap Performance.
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It continues to be popular, having been streamed more than a billion times on YouTube alone.
After coming to the attention of the musical world in the late 1980s with songs like ‘Fantastic Voyage’, Coolio became a stalwart of the scene, and his music featured in films like Space Jam, Clueless, Half-Baked and The Big Payback.
He also wrote the theme tune to the hugely popular Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel.
As well as his music career, Coolio forged a career on the screen as well, featuring performances in The Nanny, Charmed, and Martin, as well as appearing as himself on reality shows Celebrity Big Brother and Ultimate Big Brother.
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He also had a passion for cooking, which led him to release a cookbook of his own recipes called ‘Cookin’ with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price’ and a web series also called ‘Cookin’ with Coolio’.
Those cookery talents also saw him appear on a number of food programmes, as well as the reality show Rachael vs Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.
Just four days before his death, Coolio shared a performance on his Instagram account, with the nearly 19-minute video featuring performances of some of his greatest hits, including ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’.
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If you've been affected by the contents of this article and are looking for confidential and anonymous information related to drug addiction treatment you can call American Addiction Centers on 405-251-8425 available 24 hours seven days-a-week
Tom Wood