By Daisy Xu '23, Loomis Chaffee
New York Post.
On September 28, 2022, the world received the heartbreaking news of American rapper Coolio’s passing, at age 59.
Although his life was cut short by a suspected cardiac arrest, Artis Leon Ivey Jr. lived a well-celebrated and accomplished life, becoming Coolio the rapper when he released his first single at the age of 24. Before his rapping career took off, Coolio volunteered as a firefighter, among a multitude of different jobs.
Coolio has had many successful and career-changing achievements. In 1994, he released his debut solo album, It Takes a Thief; a particularly successful single in this album was “Fantastic Voyage,” which was later ranked 3rd on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, Coolio released one of the most successful rap songs of all time—“Gangsta’s Paradise.” This was the number 1 single of 1995 in the United States for all genres, also receiving recognition from other countries. Later that year, “Gangsta’s Paradise” won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Coolio not only played a leading role in the rap industry, but he was also an avid supporter of environmental justice. In 2008, he was enlisted as the spokesperson for the national coalition, Environmental Justice and Climate Change (EJCC). Along with jazz saxophonist Jarez, he traveled around the nation and educated primarily black colleges and universities on the issue of climate change.
Over and above, Coolio was a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. As a victim of asthma, he was extremely passionate about this issue which affects millions of people today, and which is even believed by close friends to have played a role in Coolio's passing—yet, remains not often acknowledged.
Coolio’s music brought a refreshing and lighthearted tone to increasingly violent and profane tones of modern-day rap. As Coolio once said, “Life is too short to not have fun.” His life inspired many people, and it will continue to inspire future generations and young artists on the rise.
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