Grammy Award-winning rapper, Coolio (real name Leon Ivey Jr.), passed away at the Los Angeles home of a friend on Wednesday, September 28. He was 59. Coolio will be best remembered for his 1995 #1 hit "Gangsta's Paradise", for which he won the Grammy for "Best Solo Rap Performance".

Former Coolio guitarist & producer, Joshua Craig of The Alien Blakk, remembers his time with the artist..

"Rest in peace, Artis.

Some of you may know that I worked extensively with, Coolio. I began as a guitar player, then Music Director, then songwriter, then record producer for him. This lasted about 7 1/2 years. I basically got my break with him.

I was living in West Hollywood while giving lessons at a music store in, Culver City. In between lessons, the saxophone teacher for the store turned over to me and said, what’s Coolio doing out there? I said where? He pointed and I saw those spiky hair things and I just walked directly outside and I said hey man, do you need a guitar on any of your music? Cool replied, can you play rock? I quickly responded with, I play rock like you rap. He smiled & then gave me his cell phone number and his office number and the address of a studio called, the Enterprise to go at an appointed time the very next day.

At that time, the Enterprise was (1 of 2 locations) more of like a rap hit factory in North Hollywood. Please keep in mind, our brief interaction never involved him hearing me play. I called to confirm the next day and asked, is Coolio home? I got a litany of questions and then he grabbed the phone and said yo Homie, we’re still good I’ll see you in a bit.

I showed up at the recording studio with my guitar and cable in hand and the first thing I played on was a song that went straight to radio just a few short weeks later. Keep in mind I just moved a week prior from Brockton, Massachusetts to Los Angeles California. That week I did studio songwriting with, Rob Halford, auditioned for a major group and then begin recording a record with, Coolio.

The Coolio gig lasted because of our mutual background with the way we had both grown up, …element wise, I suppose you would say. The inroads created from my work with him led to session performing on gold & multi platinum records for more than 2 decades.

The phrase, “you’ve got to start somewhere”, means something very important to me especially knowing that the work needs to back up every note performed and the times that Cool (Artis) & I spent together were mostly positive. These pictures (below) were from a photo shoot that we did together for, South Pole clothing. The whole breaking down racial barriers thing was part of the theme for this campaign that was very successful.

Cool and I had a good time together and he enjoyed my guitar playing so in one of these pictures you’ll see him holding the guitar and I’m giving the rapper pose. At that point in time, that was our friendship, very interchangeable and not something that I’ll forget because he helped to create some thing in a field very at the beginning stage at the time and in turn further my career as well.

RIP to my homie… Artis “Coolio” Ivey Jr."