Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop含羞草研究社檚 biggest names of the 1990s with hits including 含羞草研究社淕angsta含羞草研究社檚 Paradise含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淔antastic Voyage,含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社淕angsta含羞草研究社檚 Paradise,含羞草研究社� the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film 含羞草研究社淒angerous Minds含羞草研究社� that sampled Stevie Wonder含羞草研究社檚 1976 song 含羞草研究社淧astime Paradise.含羞草研究社�

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, 含羞草研究社淚t Takes a Thief.含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 opening track, 含羞草研究社淔antastic Voyage,含羞草研究社� would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A year later, 含羞草研究社淕angsta含羞草研究社檚 Paradise含羞草研究社� would become a No. 1 single, with its dark opening lyrics:

含羞草研究社淎s I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there含羞草研究社檚 not much left, 含羞草研究社榗ause I含羞草研究社檝e been blastin含羞草研究社� and laughin含羞草研究社� so long, that even my mama thinks that my mind is gone.含羞草研究社�

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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