Rapper Coolio has died at the age of 59.
The musician, best known or his '90s hit Gangsta's Paradise, died on Wednesday from a suspected cardiac arrest, his manager has said.
No official cause of death has yet been announced.
Coolio's longtime manager, Jarez, confirmed the star was visiting a friend in Los Angeles when they became concerned after he went to the bathroom and didn't return.
Jarez told TMZ how Coolio was unresponsive to calls for him to return, leading the pal to check on the star. However, he was found laying on the floor.
Coolio - whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr - is said to have been pronounced dead at the scene after his friend had called emergency services.
The rapper burst onto the music stage in LA in the late 1980s, but it was his '90s hit Gangsta's Paradise which made him an international star. The iconic tune, which was recorded to be the soundtrack for Michelle Pfeiffer's hit film Dangerous Minds, went on to become his signature song.
It hit number one in the US, UK, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
The single itself sold over six million copies across the globe and was part of his four-time Platinum-selling album of the same name.
Other successful tunes included Fantastic Voyage, 1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New), and It's All the Way Live (Now). He also performed the theme song for '90s sitcom Kenan and Kel titled Aw Here It Goes.
He won a host of awards throughout his career, including a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance and a number of MTV Video Music Awards.
His death comes just four days after he had posted about his latest performance in Texas on Instagram.
Many of his followers took to the post following the news of his death to leave messages of condolence. One user wrote: "Rip To the legend!!! Gangster paradise is one of my favs fr."
Another penned: "Rest in gangstas paradise," followed by an emoji of praying hands.
As well as his music career, he tried his hand at acting, appearing on productions such as Tapped Out, Two Hundred Thousand Dirty, Stealing Candy and Gangland, which featured Ice T.
He also starred on a number of reality TV shows, including Coolio's Rules in 2008, and more recently Love Rules.
In the UK, Coolio was a surprise name in the 2010 edition of Celebrity Big Brother. He famously quit following a run-in with follow contestant Nadia.
The star also became a chef, releasing a cookbook titled Cookin' with Coolio.
Over the years, he has had a number of altercations with police, including being arrested for carrying a loaded gun in an airport. He pleaded guilty to unlawful firearm possession at court in 2016, calling the incident a "misunderstanding".
Following the news of his untimely death, tributes have poured in for the much-loved rapper.
Leading the way was Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the lead role in Dangerous Minds. She shared a clip of the huge hit tune and said she was "heartbroken" at the news.
She wrote: "Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio. A life cut entirely too short. As some of you may know I was lucky enough to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He won a Grammy for his brilliant song on the soundtrack - which I think was the reason our film saw so much success."
She continued: "I remember him being nothing but gracious. 30 years later I still get chills when I hear the song. Sending love and light to his family. Rest in Power, Artis Leon Ivey Jr."
Among fellow '90s musicians to share heartfelt messages was MC Hammer, who took to Twitter to write: "One of the nicest dudes I’ve known. Good people. R.I.P. Coolio."
LL Cool J shared a short tribute on the platform too, writing: "Rest in power my brother. @Coolio Love & Respect."
Ice Cube also shared an article stating the star's passing, captioning his post: "This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace @Coolio."
Snoop Dogg shared the Kenan & Kel theme tune on his Instagram Stories in tribute to the star who performed it.
And rapper Vince Staples paid his respects too, writing: "RIP Coolio," while actor Andy Milonakis said: "RIP to the legend Coolio. I had the pleasure going to his house to do a cooking show with him and he gave me my first taste of fried turkey. He was a kind and funny dude."
Away from music, actor and comedian Martin Lawrence, who starred in Bad Boys, added a black-and-white pic of Coolio alongside the words: "My deepest condolences and prayers go out to the family of @Coolio #rip"
And Sabrina star Melissa Joan Hart took to Instagram to share a snap of the pair on set and wrote: "I had the amazing honor to work and play with @coolio a few times and he was always down for a chat, a complete gentleman and a ton of fun to hang with. What a loss! Rest In Peace!"
Elsewhere American TV personality Chad Johnson simply tweeted: "R.I.P Coolio," with an image of the rapper from the '90s.
Al Yankovic, who created a parody version of Gangsta's Paradise, also shared a snap of the pair embracing. He captioned the image: "RIP Coolio."
And former wrestler The Iron Sheik, whose real name is Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, penned: "COOLIO BUBBA YOU NOW THE GANGSTER IN THE PARADISE FOREVER RIP."
