Entertainment
Coolio: Michelle Pfeiffer and Snoop Dogg lead tributes to Gangsta’s Paradise rapper
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[GETTY IMAGES] Coolio recorded eight studio albums and won an American Music Award and three MTV Video Music Awards
Stars including Michelle Pfeiffer and Snoop Dogg have been paying tribute to the US rapper Coolio who has died at the age of 59.
He was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s LA house, his manager Jarez Posey told US media.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, won a Grammy for the 1995 track Gangsta’s Paradise, which led the soundtrack for Dangerous Minds.
Pfeiffer, who starred in the movie, said she was “heartbroken” at the news.
The exact cause of his death on Wednesday has not yet been revealed.
However Mr Posey told TMZ, which first reported the news, that paramedics believed he may have had a cardiac arrest.
Pfeiffer said she thought Coolio’s track was the “reason our film saw so much success” and that she still gets “chills” whenever she hears it.
“Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist Coolio,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip from the famous music video, which sees her sitting across the table from Coolio as he raps.
“A life cut entirely too short,” she continued. “I remember him being nothing but gracious.”
Dangerous Minds saw Pfeiffer play an ex-Marine who becomes a teacher working on a pilot programme for teenagers who are bright but underachieving, in a tough, inner-city school.
Coolio’s haunting track from it, which samples the Stevie Wonder song Pastime Paradise, continues to be widely listened to and has just passed a billion streams on Spotify, according to his official website.
It begins with Coolio reciting a line from the bible – “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” – before spinning off into a wide-ranging rap which finds him questioning the actions of those around him and wondering if he will “live to see 24”.
The film grossed nearly £85m (£78m) worldwide and the track became the biggest-selling record of the year in the US, in 1995, and Coolio was awarded the Grammy for best rap solo performance.
Snoop Dogg shared a picture of the two posing on the set of the music video for Gangsta Walk, a track they collaborated on in 2006.
Fellow rapper and actor Ice Cube said: “This is sad news. I witness first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry,” while Vanilla Ice tweeted: “I’m freaking out I just heard my good friend Coolio passed away,”
Rapper MC Hammer described Coolio as “one of the nicest dudes I’ve known”.
“Good people. RIP Coolio,” he wrote, sharing a black and white picture of the rapper, and later posting a second picture of the pair together, along with Tupac and Snoop Dogg.
Oscar-winning musician Questlove simply tweeted: “Peaceful Journey Brother.”
Rapper Flavor Flav said he and Coolio had been due to “perform together this Tuesday”, saying his friend was “the West Coast Flavor Flav… He loved telling everyone that.”
Singer Debbie Harry paid tribute by saying: “Rest in power”, while rapper LL Cool J wrote the same message, along with “Love & Respect”. Musician Al Yankovic posted a picture of himself with the late rapper.
oolio started making music in the 80s, but he cemented his place in hip-hop history when he recorded Gangsta’s Paradise, which went on to become one of the most successful rap songs of all time.
A leading figure in the US West Coast rap music scene in the 90s, Coolio was born in Pennsylvania, but grew up in the LA suburb of Compton, where his career flourished.
He rejected the label gangster rapper, and instead embraced the role of an all-round entertainer.
A talented producer and actor, he appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2009.
And he even found an outlet for his love of food with a book and internet series, Cooking with Coolio.
Over a career spanning four decades he recorded eight studio albums and won an American Music Award and three MTV Video Music Awards.
His other hits included Fantastic Voyage, Rollin’ With My Homies, 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New), and Too Hot.
He was active right up until his death – Coolio was in the middle of a tour with other 90s stars including Vanilla Ice and Young MC, and they performed in Texas just a few days ago.
Source: BBC
An International Relations student at Cumbria University, Rumzia Sule, has been officially crowned Miss Ghana 2026, emerging victorious over 12 other contestants to claim the coveted national title.
The grand finale of the 69th edition, held under the theme “Empowering Women, Enduring Legacy,” saw the University of Ghana graduate Fatimatu Zara Ishacu finish as the first runner-up and Whitney Opoku Nketia adjudged the second runner-up.
Other awards, such as Miss Fitness, Miss Talent, Miss Eloquent, Most Beautiful Skin, Miss Congeniality, Most Disciplined, and Miss Photogenic, went to Nedlyn Appiah, Lucille Akua Oputa-Otutu, Davinia Owusu Kuffuor, Lawrencia Serwaa Amankwa, Fatimatu Zara Ishacu, Anita Appiah, and Whitney Opoku Nketia, in that order.
Rumzia also won the Beauty with Purpose award.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s pageant adopted a strategic, scaled-down format. Shifting away from traditional pomp and pageantry, to a more personal and community skills development theme.
The final selection was held at the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra before an elite panel of judges, relatives of contestants amongst others present to witness the historic occasion.
According to the organisers, Exclusive Events Ghana and the Miss Ghana Foundation, the format change was a deliberate choice, as part of preparations towards the upcoming milestone for the brand both nationally and internationally, that is, next year’s landmark 70th, in Ghana and this year’s 75th anniversaries, internationally.
Despite the cozy setting of the coronation, the finalists underwent the full, rigorous pageant journey following nationwide auditions on June 27, 2026.
The young women participated in intensive, weeks-long mentorship, leadership, and entrepreneurship programme designed to test their resilience, empathy, discipline, and professionalism.
Furthermore, the contestants demonstrated their commitment to national development by rolling up their sleeves for the National Clean-Up Exercise, supporting President John Dramani Mahama’s call to restore cleanliness across Ghana by desilting choked gutters in parts of Accra.
The Foundation emphasised that these outreach programmes were vital evaluation tools used to identify a queen who genuinely embodies compassion and a willingness to serve society beyond the glamour of the stage.
Rumzia’s exceptional public speaking and commanding vision ultimately separated her from the field.
As the new Miss Ghana 2026, Rumzia will now begin preparations to represent the nation on the international stage at the upcoming Miss World pageant in Vietnam.
Born on August 14, 1980 in Cape Coast, where centuries-old castles still whisper of slavery, resistance and survival, musician Lexikon says his life has been shaped by the weight of history and the hope of renewal.
Growing up among the relics of the transatlantic slave trade, the artist developed an early hunger for truth, justice and identity.
That search took him from the halls of Mfantsipim School to the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK, where he fused academic training with a growing passion for artistry.
But it is on stage, through reggae and dancehall, that Lexikon’s voice finds its fullest expression.
According to him, “Music is not just entertainment. It is a call to the youth, a challenge to corrupt power, and a hymn of hope.”
Over the years, Lexikon has built a catalogue of 15 albums. Through his Baanfire Revolution, he champions Pan-Africanism, self-reliance and empowerment. With his Christ-For-I Mission, he uses the same platform to redirect hearts to faith and purpose.
Industry watchers describe his work as more than sound, a movement, a sermon, and in his words, “a revolution wrapped in melody.”
Now based in Accra, the father, artist and advocate says he remains committed to speaking for Africa’s young people.
For Lexikon, music is the tool: a reminder that even in struggle, there is room for renewal, and that, as he puts it, “music can be the whip of change.”
As Ghana’s creative scene continues to evolve, Lexikon stands as one of the voices merging culture, spirituality and social commentary rooted in Cape Coast history, but speaking directly to a new generation across the continent.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
