Popular American rapper MC Hammer and Hollywood actress Michelle Pfeiffer have paid tributes to late rapper, record producer, and actor Artis Leon Ivey Jr. known professionally as Coolio.
The 59-year-old rapper who won a Grammy for the 1995 track Gangsta’s Paradise, which led the soundtrack for Dangerous Minds was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s LA house, his manager Jarez Posey told US media.
Unconfirmed reports say Coolio may have died following what was likely a cardiac arrest when he was visiting a friend’s house.
Coolio’s manager at Trinity Artists International, Sheila Finegan, said they were “saddened… he touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly”.
Fellow rapper and actor Ice Cube said: “This is sad news. I witnessed first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry,” while Vanilla Ice tweeted: ”I’m freaking out I just heard my good friend Coolio passed away”.
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Michelle Pfeiffer said she thought Coolio’s track was the “reason our film saw so much success” and that she still gets “chills” whenever she hears it.
“Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist Coolio,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip from the famous music video, which sees her sitting across the table from Coolio as he raps.
“A life cut entirely too short,” she continued. “I remember him being nothing but gracious.”
Rapper MC Hammer described Coolio as “one of the nicest dudes I’ve known”.
“Good people. RIP Coolio,” he wrote, sharing a black and white picture of the rapper, and later posting a second picture of the pair together, along with Tupac and Snoop Dogg.
