Grammy Award-winning rapper Coolio has died at the age of 59.
The rap icon, best known for his chart-topping 1995 hit 'Gangsta's Paradise', was reportedly found unresponsive at a friend's house in Los Angeles, per TMZ. Tributes have been pouring in from all over the globe for the star, who visited Belfast 15 times.
Coolio was no stranger to Ireland, frequently gigging on both sides of the border. In recent years, he even developed an interest in GAA and worked on projects with Aslan frontman Christy Dignam and Dublin-based rap group Versatile.
Read more: Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and MC Hammer pay tribute to Coolio
While playing in big cities like Belfast and Dublin was a frequent occurrence for someone of Coolio's stature, he wasn't one to shy away from smaller venues. Just ask the residents of Castlederg, where the rapper stopped off to play an intimate gig at the Townhouse in June 2019.
The Grammy winner's show at the Co Tyrone venue was a last-minute one, with organisers only having two weeks to put it together. At the time, Coolio was gearing up to play Belfast's Empire on a tour of Ireland.
Last year, the Townhouse owner Dave Doherty spoke to MyTyrone about the surreal gig and how it came about.
"Apparently Coolio likes to do this type of thing - going to random places that some other people have never gone before," he said. "Another show of his got cancelled just two weeks before and me and his agent had a conversation to see if he would be up for it."
Dave added that the surprising gig did wonders for the local area with the attention and crowds it attracted. Singing Coolio's praises, he recalled the rap legend's "big production" consisting of a four-piece band and backing vocalists.
"The guys themselves were unreal, just real nice guys," he told MyTyrone, later adding: "He was just a really nice, down to earth guy. You’re expecting these boys coming down with an attitude but that wasn’t the case."
'Gangsta's Paradise' was released on Coolio's sophomore album as well as the soundtrack for the 1995 movie 'Dangerous Minds' (starring Michelle Pfeiffer). It was the biggest-selling song of the year in the US and went number one in multiple countries, including the UK and Ireland.
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