American rapper Coolio died due to fentanyl, his manager Jarel (Jarez) Posey has confirmed. The rapper’s family said he also had traces of heroin and methamphetamines in his system.
Coolio died on September 28 at the age of 59. The cause of his death was not immediately known at the time, though it was later believed that he suffered a heart attack, reports Variety.
According to TMZ, the Grammy-winning rapper, producer and actor was found at a friend’s house. Coolio was best known for his 1995 hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’, which he recorded for the film ‘Dangerous Minds’ starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
It quickly became one of the most popular rap songs of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and ending 1995 as the No. 1 single of that year in the United States.
As per Variety, in 1996, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ was nominated for record of the year and best rap solo performance at the Grammy Awards, with Coolio winning the latter.
Beyond music, Coolio was also an actor and TV personality, appearing in series like ‘The Nanny’ and reality shows such as ‘Celebrity Big Brother’. He was also passionate about food, having released his own cookbook ‘Cookin’ With Coolio’ in 2009 and competing on the Food Network series ‘Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off’, where he came in second place.