Snoop Dogg has paid tribute to his fellow Compton College alum, Coolio, after the rapper was found dead at age only 59.
It was confirmed by the rapper’s manager, Coolio, real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr, passed away yesterday while visiting a friend’s house in Los Angeles.
Coolio dead age 59
It was first reported by TMZ that the rapper, who rose to success in the 1990s with the likes of “Gangsta’s Paradise”, was visiting a friend late Wednesday afternoon when he passed away.
The publication reported: ‘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.’
Emergency services were called to the friend’s LA house around 4pm, and when they got there Coolio was pronounced dead.
Law enforcement told TMZ “no drugs or drug paraphernalia” were found at the scene of the 59-year-old’s death and they will determine the cause of Coolio’s death following an autopsy, but there were no signs of “foul play”. However, his manager said, “the paramedics suspect he suffered cardiac arrest”.
Snoop Dogg pays tribute to Coolio
Snoop Dogg has been among the celebrities who’ve led tributes to the late rapper. Snoop posted an image of him and Coolio posing on the set of the music video for their 2006 track “Gangsta Walk” along with the caption “Gangstas paradise. R. I. P.”.
In his story, he also shared a video post from another account which says: ‘RIP Coolio the Kenan & Kel theme song will always be legendary.’ As Coolio famously made the song for the 90s sitcom.
Michelle Pfeiffer also shared a clip from the music video of the 1995 hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” which was recorded as the soundtrack for Pfeiffer’s film Dangerous Minds. LL Cool J, Vanilla Ice, Weird Al Jankovich and Ice Cube have all also paid tribute.
Coolio Compton College
As well as being rappers and having worked together Coolio and Snoop also had a second connection, they both, at one point in their lives, attended Compton College in California.
Coolio, who was born in 1963, attended the community college after leaving school in the 1980s before he entered the music industry.