Rapper Coolio, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, has died aged 59.
His manager said he was visiting a friend’s house in Los Angeles when he apparently suffered a heart attack.
Real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio emerged on the Los Angeles rap scene in the 1980s, but it was Gangsta’s Paradise that propelled him to international fame and earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Performance alone
The song reached number 1 on the US Billboard charts and stayed there for three weeks.
He was nominated for five other Grammys during his career, which began in the late 1980s.
His hit Fantastic Voyage reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
American rapper Vanilla Ice said he was “scared” after reports of Coolio’s death.
“I’m freaking out, just heard my good friend Coolio passed away,” tweeted the rapper, real name Robert Matthew Van Winkle.
Former NWA star Ice Cube said: “This is sad news.”
The rapper, real name O’Shea Jackson Sr, tweeted: “Witnessed first hand this man’s move to the top of the industry. Rest in peace.”
MC Hammer described Coolio as “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.”
“Good people. RIP Coolio,” he wrote. He also shared a black and white picture of the rapper. He later posted a second photo of the pair together, along with Tupac and Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg wrote: “Gangsta’s paradise. RI P.” He shared a photo of the two of them on Instagram, posing on the set of the music video for their 2006 collaborative track Gangsta Walk.
Musical comedian Weird Al Yankovic paid his respects by sharing a photo of the pair embracing and adding: “RIP Coolio.”
He parodied Gangsta’s Paradise as Amish Paradise, although it was claimed at the time that Coolio had not given him permission to do so. Coolio stated in interviews that the couple had since made amends.
Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania, Coolio moved to Compton, California, where he attended community college. He worked as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before turning full-time to hip-hop and releasing his first single in 1987.
He recorded Gangsta’s Paradise for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
He also provided the opening track Aw, Here It Goes! for the television series Kenan & Kel.
The rapper came third in the sixth series of Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother in 2009.
Law enforcement sources told entertainment site TMZ that no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene of Coolio’s death.
He reported that paramedics were called to a home in Los Angeles around 4 p.m. for a medical emergency and pronounced Coolio dead when they arrived.
Police have opened an investigation into the death, but there do not appear to be any signs of foul play, the site added.