Coolio, Grammy Award-winning rapper, dead at 59

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Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines September 28

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Coolio, the legendary West Coast rapper, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 59.

Los Angeles Police Department Public Information Officer Jeffrey Lee confirmed to Fox News Digital that the investigation is "a non suspicious death at this time."

The musician, whose full name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., found incredible success with the Grammy Award-winning song "Gangsta's Paradise," and through his debut album, "It Takes a Thief," released in 1994 and which featured the song "Fantastic Voyage."

Authorities were investigating the death of a male adult, which was reported at 4 p.m. on "the 2900 block of Chesapeake Avenue."

"The individual that died and the cause of death will be done by the coroner's office," a LAPD public information officer said.

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Rapper Coolio died on Wednesday at the age of 59. He was pictured in 1995 just before he found fame for "Gangsta's Paradise." (Paul Bergen/Redferns)

Ice Cube, a South Los Angeles native and music icon, tweeted a somber tribute upon learning of Coolio's death. 

"This is sad news," he wrote. "I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace Coolio."

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Questlove shared a photo of the artist on Instagram and wrote, "Peaceful Journey Brother."

Flavor Flav tweeted Coolio's iconic music video and wrote, "REST IN GANGSTA'S PARADISE MY FRIEND."

Rapper Coolio died Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Los Angeles at the age of 59. He is pictured onstage in 2014. (Duane Prokop)

Coolio was born in Pennsylvania, but found success on the West Coast after moving to Compton. The rapper, pictured in 2005, won six Grammy Awards across his decades-long career. (Gregg DeGuire)

Coolio was nominated for six total Grammy awards during a decades-long career that began in the late-1980s.

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He was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, and moved to Compton where he worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before pursuing his passion in music.

Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" sold 6 million copies and won the best solo rap performance Grammy in 1996 after it was featured in Michelle Pfeiffer's 1995 film "Dangerous Minds."

The No. 1 single featured the opening lyrics, "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there’s not much left, ‘cause I’ve been blastin’ and laughin’ so long, that even my mama thinks that my mind is gone."

During a recent interview on "The Six O'Clock Show," he talked about the process of writing the song and celebrating its success after it hit one billion streams.

"It’s one of those kinds of songs that transcends generations," he said. "I didn’t use any trendy words … I think it made it timeless."

Weird Al Yankovic immortalized the song with the '96 parody, "Amish Paradise." He tweeted a picture with his friend on Wednesday night, "RIP Coolio."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.