Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop香蕉视频直播檚 biggest names of the 1990s with hits including 香蕉视频直播淕angsta香蕉视频直播檚 Paradise香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淔antastic Voyage,香蕉视频直播� died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said.

Coolio, whose legal name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died at the Los Angeles home of a friend, longtime manager Jarez Posey told The Associated Press. The cause was not immediately clear.

Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for 香蕉视频直播淕angsta香蕉视频直播檚 Paradise,香蕉视频直播� the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film 香蕉视频直播淒angerous Minds香蕉视频直播� that sampled Stevie Wonder香蕉视频直播檚 1976 song 香蕉视频直播淧astime Paradise.香蕉视频直播�

He was nominated for five other Grammys during a career that began in the late-1980s.

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Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania south of Pittsburgh, Coolio moved to Compton, California, where he went to community college. He worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.

His career took off with the 1994 release of his debut album on Tommy Boy Records, 香蕉视频直播淚t Takes a Thief.香蕉视频直播� It香蕉视频直播檚 opening track, 香蕉视频直播淔antastic Voyage,香蕉视频直播� would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A year later, 香蕉视频直播淕angsta香蕉视频直播檚 Paradise香蕉视频直播� would become a No. 1 single, with its dark opening lyrics:

香蕉视频直播淎s I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there香蕉视频直播檚 not much left, 香蕉视频直播榗ause I香蕉视频直播檝e been blastin香蕉视频直播� and laughin香蕉视频直播� so long, that even my mama thinks that my mind is gone.香蕉视频直播�

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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