Coolio, 'Gangsta's Paradise' Rapper, Dies at 59

Coolio, the rapper whose playful and sometimes gritty takes on West Coast rap and anthemic hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” made him a hip-hop star in the 1990s, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 59.

His manager, Jarez Posey, confirmed the death. Mr. Posey, who worked with Coolio for more than 20 years, said he was told that he died at a friend’s house. No cause was given.

Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., achieved mainstream superstardom and critical success with his biggest hit, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” in 1995. A grim, minor-key track that featured the singer L.V. and drew on Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise,” spent three weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100 and was named the chart’s No. 1 song of the year. It won the Grammy for best rap solo performance in 1996 and was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, outshining the movie it was featured in, the high school drama “Dangerous Minds.” Coolio died Wednesday in Los Angeles ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper who achieved enormous success in the 90s was visiting a friend late Wednesday afternoon when he passed away.

Coolio's longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend's house, but when he didn't come out after a while ... the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found Coolio laying on the floor.