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Rare Photo of Coolio Hanging Out With Late WWE Legend Resurfaces After His Tragic Death at 59

Published 10/01/2022, 6:30 AM EDT

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Grammy winning musician U.S rapper Coolio tragically passed away on Wednesday, September 28. The rapper, best known for his chart-topping 1995 song Gangsta’s Paradise, died in Los Angeles at a friend’s house. Commiserations and tributes have poured for Coolio, who was friends with a famous pro wrestler.


Many fans and pro wrestlers have paid their respects to him over on social media since the news of his death broke out. Fans are sharing also sharing some of the memorable moments from his life.

A rare photo has resurfaced after this tragedy that shows Coolio hanging out with WWE legend Chyna.

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Coolio advocated for Chyna’s Hall of Fame induction

Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr shot to fame after his 1995 single ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’. The song was a massive hit and earned him a Grammy for best solo rap performance.

The song was part of the soundtrack of the Michelle Pfeiffer film, “Dangerous Minds.” Moreover, the song recently hit one billion views on YouTube as well.

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Sadly, on September 28, his manager and friend Jarez Posey confirmed that Coolio had passed away in Los Angeles, aged 59.

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A pop culture icon, the rapper also had a pro wrestling connection and was friends with popular WWE wrestler Chyna. Interestingly, the duo participated on the reality TV show Fear Factor in 2001 in a special celebrity edition.

Now a rare photo has resurfaced after Coolio’s sudden demise. In the photo, the former WWE Women’s Champion Chyna can be seen hugging the famous rapper.

Indeed, he had advocated Chyna’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame for years, and the two were good friends. Chyna was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of the D-Generation X stable.

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Coolio’s star studded career

Coolio started his rap career in the 1980s, with his debut album ‘It Takes a Thief’ coming out in 1994. His song Fantastic Voyage from the same album reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

A year later, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ would top the charts as Coolio gained international fame. He won the Grammy Award for the best solo rap performance for the song in 1996. Furthermore, he also came up with other hits like “1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “It’s All the Way Live.”

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Apart from this, he appeared in numerous TV shows and movies, while also being a part of the reality show Big Brother. Coolio’s tragic and sudden death will be felt deeply, but he will be forever remembered as an icon of the rap industry.

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Written by:

Sherjeel Malik

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Sherjeel Malik is a WWE writer at Essentially Sports. He has been a passionate Wrestling fan since childhood and his all-time favorites include 'The Hardy Boyz' and Randy Orton. Sherjeel also follows soccer religiously and is a Liverpool fan.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu