The Truth About Coolio's Ex-Wife Josefa Salinas

The news of Coolio's death has been on many people's minds as of late. The rapper who was known for his hit "Gangsta's Paradise" was found dead at his friend's house on September 28, per TMZ. Coolio's manager Jarez was with him at the time and discovered him unresponsive on the bathroom floor. CNN reported that the paramedics were called and pronounced Coolio dead after trying to resuscitate him for about 45 minutes.

Before his rise to fame in the 1990s, Coolio lived the life he rapped about in "Gangsta's Paradise." At a young age, he started hanging out with the Baby Crips and got in trouble for bringing weapons to school, per The Sun. He later started making a name for himself by performing in rap contests and earned a stint at a radio station in Los Angeles. Despite his eventual success, Coolio led a troubled life and was arrested twice — found with a concealed weapon and marijuana the second time, per Mirror. Throughout his fame and hardships, his ex-wife Josefa Salinas stood by his side.

Coolio met Josefa Salinas in 1987, per The Sun. Salinas made a name for herself as a radio personality and became known as the "Angel of the Night." Prior to her broadcasting career, Salinas was a probation officer, but decided to switch careers after a push from her former boss. Coolio and Salinas got married in 1996 and share four children together, per Heavy. The couple divorced in 2000.

Salinas went on to have a thriving career in radio. In 2016, she was invited to the South by South Lawn event at the White House, per Old School 104.7 FM. Josefa is also praised for helping the community and was named one of "California's Most Influential Women" by the National Diversity Council. Josefa was also awarded "Woman of the Year in Broadcasting" by the National Latina Business, among many others.

Following their split, Coolio and Salinas seemed to maintain a friendly relationship. Just months before his death, Salinas gave her ex-husband a shout-out on her Instagram for his hit song: "Congratulations to @coolio ! Gangsta Paradise hit ONE BILLION views!!!! Only 200 songs out of 80 million on @youtube are in this club!" Salinas has yet to address Coolio's death, but it's apparent he remained in her heart long after their breakup.