According to a close friend, the late rapper Coolio had avoided drugs and excessive drinking in the years leading up to his death, although he had struggled with substance abuse in the past.
The hip-hop star, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, died in Los Angeles last Wednesday. if cardiac arrest is suspected. He was 59.
The rap artist’s history of substance abuse and crack cocaine addiction led some fans to speculate that he died of a drug overdose after being found on his boyfriend’s bathroom floor in downtown LA.
But his manager said the cause appears to be a heart attack, and a close friend also attested to Coolio’s sobriety in recent years.
Coolio had a history of drug abuse and crack cocaine addiction but was sober in the years leading up to his death, a friend of the rapper told
Coolio’s manager and close friend Eric Yano (pictured) said he had never seen him drink or use drugs in the 18 years he’d known him
Eric Yano, a Vegas-based friend of the late rapper who has known him for 18 years, told in an exclusive interview that he has never seen Coolio drink, smoke or use any substance despite his drug struggles in the past two decades lasting friendship.
“He would never show up drunk or on another planet like most people do. I never saw him drink. He usually drank a glass of water,’ Yano said.
“A lot of people wanted to smoke a joint with him, but he never smoked.
“I was shocked when the news of his death broke yesterday. Was it something health related?
“But I only saw him a few weeks ago and he seemed perfectly fine. No mention of any kind of heart condition or any disease.’
Yano, 45, who hosts VIP events at MGM hotels and casinos in Vegas, said he first met Yano around 2004 on the Strip looking for a cab, gave him a ride home, and has been steady since then become friends.
The nightlife rep and rapper had started a new business, Send Me To Vegas, in which guests paid for a party bus tour of the Strip accompanied by Coolio, entertained his guests, and sang his hits along the way.
Despite his outstanding multi-platinum record success and his biggest hit, Gangsta’s Paradise, which hit a billion YouTube views this July, Coolio wasn’t a rich man, his friend revealed.
Coolio, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, was not a wealthy man at the time of his death, despite his meteoric success with his greatest hits and other multi-platinum records
Eric Yano shared videos of him and Coolio hanging out in Las Vegas before his death
Documents from a 2010 child support case filed by his ex, Anabella Chatman, show he was making just $1,387 a month.
Yano told that Coolio loved performing and was less focused on making money.
“For Coolio, entertaining people was important, whether that was on stage or just talking over dinner,” he said.
Coolio fathered at least 11 children. Four have been with his first wife, LA City Official and radio personality Josefa Salinas, and at least two with his current longtime partner, model Mimi Ivey, and others with several girlfriends.
At the time of his death, he was living in Las Vegas but had traveled to Los Angeles to fix an issue with his passport.
The rapper had shows scheduled in Germany this weekend so needed proper documentation.
Coolio’s manager Jarez said he was preparing to join the rapper when he received a call about the bathroom breakdown.
The manager later said he was told Coolio died of a heart attack, although this has not yet been confirmed.
Police found no drugs or drug paraphernalia in the bathroom.
Fan Mika Janday shared a photo of him posing with Coolio, who looked happy, healthy and committed just days before his unexpected death at the age of 59
Passing: EMTs pronounced Coolio dead at the scene and an autopsy is now underway to determine the official cause of death – although law enforcement sources said “no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene”.
Gone too soon: The musician – famous for his hit song Gangsta’s Paradise – was visiting a friend on Wednesday afternoon when he was found dead (pictured 10 days ago)
Distraught fans have since highlighted the singer’s lifelong asthma as a possible cause of death.
He has been regularly spotted puffing on an inhaler during performances, although his friend and longtime manager Jarez claims he died of a heart attack
On the day of his death, Coolio had reportedly gone to the bathroom at a friend’s house but had not shown up for a long time.
That prompted the friend to investigate. Coolio was lying motionless on the bathroom floor when he was found.
The friend called emergency services and rescue workers responded quickly but found no signs of life.
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed by a coroner.