The hip-hop world is still coping with the passing of “Gangster’s Paradise” rapper Coolio. The beloved personality, known for his signature hair, passed away on September 28th, 2022. He was 59 years old and survived by his ten children and girlfriend, Mimi Ivey, who took his last name professionally even though they were not married. While his family plans to lay him to rest, Mimi reveals that there will not be any services as per Coolio’s wishes.
Coolio’s official cause of death has not been revealed, but it has been revealed that the hitmaker suffered from extreme asthma in his lifetime. Coolio’s death was a real gut punch to the rap community, and the latest in a series of rappers from the ’80s and ’90s dying well before their time. This includes DMX (50), Black Rob (52), Biz Markie, Shock G from Digital Underground, and Gift of Gab from Blackalicious. All of these men passed painfully young and highlighted growing concerns for the health and wellness of men of color in their 50s and 60s.
Coolio was found passed out on the day of his passing in a friend’s bathroom and is believed to have gone into cardiac arrest. Friends all say that he struggled for years with asthma and truly believe that this was the cause of his falling out. According to Page Six, “Research published by the American Heart Association shows that people with persistent asthma could be at a higher risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder.”
Mimi Ivey came forward about her relationship with Coolio in an Instagram post, which reveals the pair were soulmates. Mimi is an adult entertainer and escort. Her website describes her as a “fun, exciting, and talented entertainer” available for bookings. Her bio reads, “Foremost I am a mother and take great pride in being one. Everything after that has come with hard work, dedication, and a lot of disappointment.” Mimi and Coolio began dating in 2012. She is a mother of three and shared several pictures of their blended family.
Mimi and Coolio had been together for ten years and had an open relationship. Mimi says she was aware of Coolio seeing other women and the pair had no secrets. ‘We were best friends,” she revealed to the DailyMail. “We would talk about everything and joke and laugh about everything. There was never a dull moment being with him. He was an eccentric storyteller. He loved life. He loved his family, his career, and he loved to make people smile.”
Mimi says that she and Coolio spoke at great length about the things he wanted, including how he wanted his death to be handled. As per Coolio’s request, he will be cremated, and there will be no funeral. ‘I’m respecting his wishes. He wanted to be cremated. He did not want a funeral; he did not want a memorial service. He didn’t want any of that,’ Mimi revealed. Some friends close to Coolio believe the lowkey cremation was in an attempt to keep his baby mothers from clashing.
Of course this new is leaving many fans torn on the subject. While many suggest the late rapper’s final wishes should be honored, some feel like the girlfriend does not have the right to make the final suggestion. At this time none of Coolio’s ten children have spoken publicly to the media to discuss the passing of their father or any arrangements. Coolio’s alleged last video prior to his passing has since went viral. In the video, Coolio is discussing how some things are fake, and some things we don’t know about. The rapper statement was very general as he didn’t state any specifics.
Coolio’s last video before his death pic.twitter.com/drGQ2rEyCq
— Flip (@FlipTheTable17) October 3, 2022
Prior to Coolio’s passing the legendary rapper was booked and busy. Coolio had a show in Texas and was planning to appear on Wild ‘N Out at some point. According to his team, Coolio loved the show and was excited to make an appearance, but conflicts in scheduling kept getting in the way. We’ll keep you posted as this story continues to develop.
