Coolio, the ’90s rapper who lit up the music charts with hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” has passed away, his friend and manager Jarez Posey, stated. He was 59.
“We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon,” a statement provided to CNN from Coolio’s talent manager Sheila Finegan said.
“He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly. Thank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing. Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to multiple reports, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) frantically tried to revive Coolio after his body was found in a downtown LA. home, but after 45 minutes of CPR he was pronounced dead.
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TMZ reported that Coolio was at a friend’s home late Wednesday afternoon when he went to the bathroom. He was apparently in there for quite a while, and then the friend became concerned and began calling for him. When Coolio didn’t respond, the friend went inside the bathroom and found the rapper laying on the floor.
Police did not find drugs or paraphernalia in the bathroom.
While we have not been able to confirm with medical reports, the manager says he was told Coolio had a heart attack.
African Americans are at a higher risk for heart disease than other ethnic groups. Nearly 48% of African American women and 44% of African American men have some form of heart disease.
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The good news is, African-Americans can improve their odds of preventing and beating these diseases by understanding the risks and taking simple steps to address them.
“Get checked, then work with your medical professional on your specific risk factors and the things that you need to do to take care of your personal health,” said Winston Gandy, M.D., a cardiologist and chief medical marketing officer with the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta and a volunteer with the American Heart Association.
High blood pressure, overweight and obesity and diabetes are common conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Here’s how they affect African-Americans and some tips to lower your risk.
Born as Artis Leon Ivey Jr. in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, California. He spent some time as a teen in Northern California, where his mother sent him because she felt the city was too dangerous.
He said in interviews that he started rapping at 15 and knew by 18 it was what he wanted to do with his life, but would go to community college and work as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.
“I wasn’t looking for a career, I was looking for a way to clean up – a way to escape the drug thing,” he said. “It was going to kill me and I knew I had to
