The possible cause of death of Coolio, the 'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper, at 59

"Happy and healthy." Coolio's entourage assures that the rapper was in good shape the day before he unexpectedly passed away. So, what could have been the cause of his death?

TMZ talked to Coolio's entourage about the possible cause of his death, and they all agree on one point: Coolio had severe asthma. He had been suffering from the lung disease for years.

The artist's own family told authorities about his complicated history with asthma. Coolio even had to carry several inhalers with him at all times. He even used them on stage in the middle of a concert.

According to the American Heart Association, people with severe asthma who use specific medications for this ailment have a 60% increased risk of suffering heart attacks or cardiovascular accidents.

Either way, the death of music legend Coolio was sudden and shocking. He died on September 28 in Los Angeles at the age of 59.

His friend and manager, Jarel Posey, confirmed the news to CNN. He didn't go into too many details about what had happened to the rapper.

Artis Leon Ivey Jr, Coolio's real name, was at a friend's house when he died, TMZ reports.

TMZ reported that the circumstances surrounding the rapper's death were strange.

According to the aforementioned media outlet, Coolio had gone into the bathroom at his friend's house in Los Angeles. Then, he stayed there for longer than usual.

Seeing that he didn't come out and that he did not respond to calls from outside, his friend forced his way into the bathroom and found Coolio lying on the floor.

When rescue services arrived at the house, they quickly determined that Coolio had died. It was Wednesday afternoon, September 28.

Police sources told TMZ that they had found no traces of substances or paraphernalia at the place of death -  specifically in the bathroom.

In fact, TMZ reported that the paramedics assumed the rapper had a sudden cardiac arrest and that this was the most likely cause of death. As became known later, his severe asthma may have been the trigger for his alleged heart attack.

Regardless of the lack of suspicious materials at the scene, police will investigate what exactly happened that caused the life of Coolio to end so suddenly.

Many will anxiously await the autopsy to determine the official cause of death. Coolio was a known musician who achieved absolute glory in the 90s.

After several years of trying to make it in the music business, Coolio released 'Gangsta's Paradise' in 1995. The song was part of the soundtrack of 'Dangerous Minds,' the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. 'Gangsta's Paradise is an adapted cover of Stevie Wonder's song 'Pastime Paradise.'

'Gangsta's Paradise' was number 1 on 21 music charts around the world, including the American Billboard chart. Coolio won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance and was nominated for Best Recording of the Year with the iconic song.

The music video, directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring scenes from the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer, gave a boost to the popularity of both the film and the song. It became one of the most influential music videos of the 1990s, at the height of the MTV and music video boom.

It came out long before YouTube existed, but by now the video has already exceeded a billion views on the platform.

At the time of his death, the rapper was still active. According to his website, he had sold more than 17 million copies of his albums. His tracks had been played over a billion times on Spotify.

As Coolio told the Los Angeles Times in 1994, his music career arose as "a way to stay clean" and prevent substances from ending his life. Coolio also turned his life around by becoming a firefighter when he was in his twenties.

It's not surprising, therefore, that authorities and media are ruling out substance abuse as a cause of Coolio's death. In the end, however, it is the coroner who has the last word.