Rapper Coolio dies at 59: 'Gangsta's Paradise' singer's life & career in pictures

Before Coolio became a world-famous rapper, he worked odd jobs. After his birth in Monessen, he moved to California in Compton. There, he attended Compton Community College and post that he volunteered as a firefighter and also worked in security at the Los Angeles International Airport.
 

Coolio recorded the first single of his career in 1987, which kicked off his career. The single was titled 'Whatcha Gonna Do?'. In 1988, he went on to record 'What Makes You Dance (Force Groove)'.
 

It was this 1995 song that truly made Coolio an internationally-renowned star. In the song, he collaborated with R&B artist Larry Sanders, professionally known as L.V. Apart from a Grammy, the song won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film, and a Billboard Music Award for 'Gangsta's Paradise'. Billboard put the song at the 85th position in a list of greatest songs of all time.
 

Coolio was not just a rapper, and he also had a career in acting. He made his film debut with 1996's 'Dear God', which was directed by Garry Marshall and starred Greg Kinnear and Laurie Metcalf. He had also been in movies like 'Pterodactyl', 'Daredevil', 'Dracula 3000', 'Leprechaun in the Hood', 'Judgment Day', among others.
 

Coolio has six children. He married only once. He tied the knot to Josefa Salinas in 1996. Their marriage lasted only for four years.
 

Coolio, along with jazz saxophonist and his long-time manager Jarez Posey, were the spokespersons for a group called Environmental Justice and Climate Change, which aimed to teach predominantly black colleges about the climate crisis. Coolio was also a spokesperson for Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and had talked about suffering asthma himself.
 

Coolio also had a couple of legal issues. In 1998, he was convicted of being an accessory to robbery and causing bodily injury, and was handed a sentence to six months probation and a fine of $17,000. Cut to 2016, he and member of his crew were apprehended for the possession of a firearm at the LA airport. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 45 days of community service.
 

Several rappers and other celebrities have taken to social media sites to pay tribute to Coolio. Rapper and actor Ice Cube tweeted, "This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace @Coolio." Another rapper Flava Fav wrote, "Coolio was the West Coast Flavor Flav. He loved telling everyone that. We was supposed to perform together this Tuesday. #RIP my friend."