BREAKING: Grammy Award Winner, Hip Hop Icon Coolio Dead at 59

OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.

“Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper Coolio died at age 59 while visiting a friend’s house.

He rose to fame in 1995 with the release of “Gangsta’s Paradise” and received the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo.

His friend and longtime manager, Jarez, said that Coolio went to the bathroom but didn’t return.

When Jarez went to check on him, Coolio didn’t respond. He discovered Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., on the floor.

Paramedics responded and Coolio was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of death is unknown. Paramedics suspect that Coolio suffered cardiac arrest.

The official cause of death is still pending.

More on this story via NY Post:

The rapper — who began his career back in the ’80s — rose to fame in 1995 after the release of “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was featured in the movie “Dangerous Minds” and got him the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.

His death comes just four days after he took to Instagram to post his latest performance in Texas, where many of his fans shared their condolences.

“Crazy he just posted a week ago, and has passed,” one loyal fan wrote, while many others shared “Rest in peace” in the comment section.

“Rest in paradise,” a second person commented on his most recent Instagram post.

He is survived by his six children and ex-wife Josefa Salina, whom he married in 1996. The former couple called it quits four years later.