Rapper Coolio Killed By Fatal Fentanyl Cocktail, Coroner Concludes

LOS ANGELES, CA — Rapper Coolio's sudden death at age 59 last year was caused by fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, the Los Angeles medical examiner concluded Thursday.

Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., died in September in the bathroom of a friend's Los Angeles home. According to the medical examiner, the “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper also suffered from asthma and the heart disease known as Cardiomyopathy and had recently used PCP — all contributing factors to his accidental death.

His sudden death caught hit a generation of rap fans hard.

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Coolio won a Grammy for best solo rap performance for “Gangsta's Paradise,” the 1995 hit from the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” that sampled Stevie Wonder's 1976 song “Pastime Paradise" and was played constantly on MTV.

In 1994, Coolio released his debut solo album "It Takes A Thief," which reached No. 3 on Billboard's chart.

Famous for his signature hairstyle, high energy and wit, Coolio transitioned easily to reality television on the 2000s when he appeared on "Celebrity Big Brother" and "Ultimate Big Brother."

Born in Pennsylvania but raised in Compton, Coolio sold more than 17 million records during his career, powered largely by the smash hit"Gangsta's Paradise."

He said in interviews that he started rapping at 15 and knew by 18 it was what he wanted to do with his life, but would go to community college and work as a volunteer firefighter and in airport security before devoting himself full-time to the hip-hop scene.

According to his official website, Coolio's music was also featured in films including "Space Jam," "Clueless," "The Big Payback" and "Half- Baked."

He also wrote the theme song for the Nickelodeon series "Kenan & Kel." During his career, he collected an American Music Award, three MTV Music Video awards, two Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, two Billboard Music and a World Music award.

As an actor portraying himself, he appeared in a variety of films and television shows over the years, including "Martin," "The Nanny" and "Charmed."

In 2009, he released his own cookbook, "Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price," dubbing himself a "ghetto gourmet." He also appeared in a web series titled "Cookin' with Coolio."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.