American rapper Coolio died yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 59, his manager and close friend Jarez Posey confirmed to CNN. In the 1990s, Coolio (real name: Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) became known for songs such as Gangsta’s Paradise and Fantastic Voyage.

His management does not disclose what the rapper died of. According to entertainment website TMZ, Coolio visited a friend’s house, where he was found possibly dead on the floor of a heart attack.

Grammy Award
In 1996 Coolio won a Grammy for best solo act in the rap category with the song Gangsta’s Paradise. The song has been viewed more than 1 billion times on YouTube.

Gangsta’s Paradise is also the soundtrack of the movie Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer. She plays a high school teacher in a slum in California who, despite great effort, manages to make contact with her unmotivated students.

gun ownership
The rapper was convicted several times in the past, including for possession of weapons. The last time was six years ago.