Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop害羞草研究所檚 biggest names of the 1990s with hits including 害羞草研究所淕angsta害羞草研究所檚 Paradise害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淔antastic Voyage,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淕angsta害羞草研究所檚 Paradise,害羞草研究所� the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film 害羞草研究所淒angerous Minds害羞草研究所� that sampled Stevie Wonder害羞草研究所檚 1976 song 害羞草研究所淧astime Paradise.害羞草研究所�

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, 害羞草研究所淚t Takes a Thief.害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 opening track, 害羞草研究所淔antastic Voyage,害羞草研究所� would reach No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A year later, 害羞草研究所淕angsta害羞草研究所檚 Paradise害羞草研究所� would become a No. 1 single, with its dark opening lyrics:

害羞草研究所淎s I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there害羞草研究所檚 not much left, 害羞草研究所榗ause I害羞草研究所檝e been blastin害羞草研究所� and laughin害羞草研究所� so long, that even my mama thinks that my mind is gone.害羞草研究所�

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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