Rapper Coolio was lost last month, and fans are still dealing with the devastating news. Coolio was the soundtrack for a generation of youth who remember songs like “Gangsta’s Paradise” or the theme song from Kenan and Kel. Coolio was survived by his ten children and long-time girlfriend, Mimi Ivey. Despite them having an open relationship and Coolio having so many kids, it appears Mimi is the one in charge of his final arrangements. The Las Vegas-based adult entertainer reveals that Coolio asked to not have a funeral and would instead be cremated. Some fans are questioning why she has so much authority over his final memorial.
It is unclear how close Coolio was to his children before passing, but he did admit to being an absentee father for much of their childhood. He shared children with several different women and was also helping Mimi Ivey raise her three kids as well. He was married to Josefa Salinas in 1996, but the pair divorced in 2000. They shared daughters Artisha Ivey, Brandi Ivey, Jackie Ivey, and son Artis Ivey III. From there, he fathered six other kids, with their mothers being hard to track down. The children’s names are Grtis Ivey, Milan Ivey, Darius Ivey, Zhaneand Ivey, Kate Ivey, and Shayne Ivey. The latter two are reportedly twins.
Mimi Ivey uses Coolio’s last name professionally but has never admitted to them being married. In her post commemorating his life and their relationship, she described the rapper as her “soulmate” and “hubby.” Her main image is a photo of the two of them, and her page is filled with images of their life together. “Words can not express the pain that I am feeling right now. You are my soul mate, hubby, lover & best friend. I’m so happy that you called me on FaceTime at 2 am and woke me up out my sleep to tell me you love me and miss me,” she said in a post from the day of his passing. She used the hashtag “The Ivey’s” in the post as well.
As news outlets have talked to Mimi about Coolio and their time together, she has admitted that the pair had an open relationship. Mimi’s website alludes to her being an adult entertainer and worker, so understandably the dynamic makes sense for her work. Because of his high profile, Coolio was also allowed to see other people and often did. “He was who he was. If he was seeing other women, I knew about it. There’s nothing that man ever did that he hid from me. We talked about everything. I knew his whole life. We had no secrets.”
The pair did appear on a few reality shows during their time together, including Celebrity Wife Swap and Couple’s Therapy. While on there, Mimi sang a slightly different tune and actually admitted to being a bit frustrated with Coolio disappearing for days and being very stubborn. Coolio admitted that his oldest son going to prison sent him off on a drug spiral, and Mimi was not aware. Coolio lamented that sometimes he wished Mimi would let him take control of the situation, but she did not always do that for him. It seems like they were on much better terms at his time of passing, and Mimi has been very honest about how hard it has been preparing for his final memorial and dealing with the reality that he is gone.
In prepping for his final send-off, Mimi has revealed that Coolio requested no funeral and no public service. While Mimi and Coolio were living like husband and wife, they never officially signed any paperwork. “We went to the courthouse, we filled out all of the paperwork, and we were planning on it. But we just decided not to turn it in,” she said. “It’s just a piece of paper that doesn’t change how either one of us felt about each other.”
However, some fans are questioning how Mimi can have so much authority over his final memorial if they are not legally wed. “There will be no funeral for Rapper #Coolio! Does his ten children have a say in this?” asked one site. “Coolio’s funeral should be bigger than the queen’s,” said another fan. Many others joked about a choir singing “Gangsta’s Paradise” at his final procession while the preacher raps his verse. Do you think Mimi consulted his family, or is she making this decision alone?
