Coolio died in September at age 59 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
People magazine obtained a copy of the coroner’s report, which said cardiomyopathy, asthma and recent use of phencyclidine (PCP) contributed to the hip-hop star’s death.
According to the American Heart Association, “cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.”
The coroner’s report was released just over six months after the “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper was found unresponsive at a friend’s house in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2022.
Related Story: Coolio Remembered by MC Hammer, Questlove and Ice Cube
At the time of his death, Coolio’s talent manager Jarez Posey said the rapper went to the restroom at his friend’s house and collapsed. Paramedics responded to the home, but Coolio could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The rapper was born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. in Monessen, Pennsylvania on Aug. 1, 1963. He grew up in Compton, California, and attended Compton Community College. After working a variety of jobs, he launched a rap career in the 1980s.
In 1995, Coolio reached superstar status with the release of “Gangsta’s Paradise” featuring R&B singer L.V. for the film Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
The single became one of the most successful rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the No. 1 single in the U. S. for three weeks. Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which included a sample of Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Pastime Paradise.”
The “Fantastic Voyage” rapper’s music was also featured in the films Space Jam, Clueless, The Big Payback, and Half-Baked. He wrote the theme song for the Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel, as well.
In addition to his music career, he had acting roles on Martin, The Nanny and Charmed. He made a string of appearances on reality TV as well, as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother in 2009, and on Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, and was featured on the ABC reality program Wife Swap.
The rapper’s estate recently announced plans to release a posthumous album later this year that Coolio was working on just before he died. The album is titled Long Live Coolio. The first single, “TAG ‘You It,’” featuring Too $hort and DJ Wino was released last month.
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