Cause of Coolio's Death Finally Revealed

Coolio, the rapper of Gangster's Paradise, was found dead at a friend's residence in Los Angeles in September.

Upon the announcement of his death in September 2022, Artis Ivey III, the rapper's son, stated that he believed his 59-year-old father died of natural causes, such as a heart attack.

But Coolio's family has now received further information and clarification from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroners office after his cause of death was examined further.

According to family spokesman Jarel (Jarez) Posey, the latest statement claimed that Coolio died on September 28 after an accidental overdose of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

At the time of his death, the musician had residues of heroin and methamphetamines in his system.

According to TMZ, Posey's statement also disclosed that authorities discovered Coolio's acute asthma and long-term cigarette smoking were significant factors in his unexpected death.

The musician was just 59 years old when he died. TMZ first reported the rapper's death after a spokesman for Coolio revealed that the emcee went to the toilet at a friend's residence.

His friends called his name, but he didn't respond. Then they opened the door and spotted Coolio on the floor.

After his death, famous people, including Questlove, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Kenan Thompson, expressed tribute.

Michelle Pfeiffer, the Dangerous Minds actress and star of the video for Gangsta's Paradise, the main single from the film's 1995 soundtrack, publicly mourned the rapper with a heartfelt note:

“Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio. A life cut entirely too short. As some of you may know I was lucky enough to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He won a Grammy for his brilliant song on the soundtrack - which I think was the reason our film saw so much success. I remember him being nothing but gracious. 30 years later I still get chills when I hear the song. Sending love and light to his family. Rest in Power, Artis Leon Ivey Jr.”

Artis Leon Ivey Jr., aka Coolio, was born in August 1963 in Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh. As a young adult, he relocated to Compton, California, and fell into the drug scene, but he pulled himself out of it by volunteering as a fireman.

Coolio previously worked as a security guard at Los Angeles International Airport before becoming a full-time rapper and earning a name for himself in the underground scene.

His debut song, Whatcha Gonna Do?, was released in 1987. It wasn't until he signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1994 that his career took off.

It Takes a Thief was Coolio's first solo album, and the lead track Fantastic Voyage reached number three on the Billboard Top 100 list. It was also played on MTV during its Golden Age, and it became one of the year's biggest rap hits.

Coolio's most notable success was Gangsta's Paradise, released in 1995 and featuring R&B singer L.V. for the film Dangerous Minds.

It led the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and remained one of the most memorable songs ever.

Coolio is survived by his ten children, Grtis, Kate, Shayne, Zhanend, Brandi, Jackie, Melan, Darius, Artisha, and Artis.

According to a family representative, his children will "remember their dad for the great man he was, and the public should know how much they loved him, and how he conquered the world both on the stage and when he wasn't performing."

According to the site, Coolio's family intends to honor the rapper with forthcoming documentaries and films that will carry on his musical legacy.