Children of the 1980s and of other generations are mourning the passing of hip-hop legend Coolio. TMZ was first to report Wednesday evening that Coolio has passed away at the age of 59.
Authorities were called to a house in Los Angeles around 4 PM local time Wednesday afternoon due to a medical emergency. According to TMZ, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The artist was reportedly visiting a friend when he passed away. No foul play or drugs are said to be involved in his tragic passing.
“Coolio’s longtime manager, Jarez, says Coolio went to the bathroom at his friend’s house, but when he didn’t come out after a while … the friend kept calling for him, and eventually went in and found him laying on the floor.”
TMZ report on Coolio’s passing
As news of his tragic passing broke, the Chicago Cubs paid homage to Coolio during their game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Wednesday evening by playing his song “Fantastic Voyage.” It was a surreal scene.
Talk about perfect timing for this legendary song and its lyrics.
“Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage. Slide slide slippity-slide. I’m hittin’ switches on the block in a ’65. Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage. Slide slide slippity-slide. Ain’t no valley low enough or a mountain high.”
Lyrics from Coolio’s song “Fantastic VOgage”
Coolio’s rise to fame and reactions to his death in th sports world
Also known as Artis Leon Ivey Jr., Coolio’s first major hit was considered “Gangsta’s Paradise” back in 1995. From an individual perspective, the 13-year-old version of this scribe got into hip-hop primarily due to this legendary song. The same goes for so many others of that era, leading to it becoming one of the anthems of our generation.
The single the Chicago Cubs played Wednesday evening at Wrigley, “Fantastic Voyage,” became a hit years after its release, too. He won a 1996 Grammy for best rap solo performance for “Gangsta’s Paradise.” He was also nominated for “Fantatic Voyage” the year prior.
It goes without saying that those around the sports world who were of Coolio’s generation and younger had their reactions to his tragic passing. That included the San Francisco Giants playing “Gangsta’s Paradise” during their game.