Coolio, rapper of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ and ‘Fantastic Voyage’ dead at 59
Fantastic Voyage #FantasticVoyage
Coolio, the rapper best known for hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” has passed away.
He was 59.
TMZ reports he died while visiting a friend in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon.
Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., Coolio emerged as a mainstream success in the mid-1990s with the albums “It Takes a Thief,” “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “My Soul,” featuring hits like “Fantastic Voyage,” “Gangsta’s Paradise,” “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “C U When U Get There.” He also performed the opening track “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the 1996 Nickelodeon series “Kenan & Kel.”
The Pennsylvania native peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Fantastic Voyage” in 1994. He would reach the top of the charts with “Gangsta’s Paradise,” a song famously featured on the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” in 1995. He also won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for the record.
Coolio rocked an Alabama football hat and sweatshirt while performing at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater with the “I Love the ‘90s” tour May 2016, sharing the bill with Vanilla Ice, Salt-N-Pepa, Color Me Badd, All 4 One and Young MC.
It marked his first performance in Tuscaloosa since a University of Alabama Welcome Back concert in August 2005. He and his colleagues decked out in crimson Alabama football gear, the rapper wasted no time with a flurry of hits including “Fantastic Voyage,” “C U When You Get There” (dedicated to Prince), “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New) and his set closer “Gangsta’s Paradise.”
“We roll with the tide!” they said as they led another big “Roll Tide!” cheer.
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