With just one hit in 1995, he became one of the biggest in the rap scene. His early death at just 59 shocked the music world in September 2022. But what Coolio died of was unclear for a long time.
The cause of death of the “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper has now been announced.
Coolio died of fentanyl abuse, according to his longtime manager Jarez Posey. The rapper also had traces of heroin and methamphetamine in his body.
► The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office described his death as an accident. According to Posey, investigators also suspect Coolio’s severe asthma and cigarette smoking played a role in his death.
Tribute to Coolio at the 2023 Grammy Awards
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is actually used as a pain reliever. In the US, however, fentanyl is widely abused by drug addicts and leads to numerous deaths every year. Drug overdose is the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 50, with two-thirds of deaths now being caused by opioids.
Coolio visited a friend at his home in Los Angeles on September 28, 2022 and went to the bathroom there. When he didn’t come back, the friend got worried, checked – and found Coolio lying lifeless on the bathroom floor. The friend called 911. Rescue workers fought for the rapper’s life for 45 minutes. In vain.
