Coolio Recorded New Lines for Futurama Reboot Before Death
The entertainment world is still mourning the loss of Coolio, after the rapper-turned-actor passed away at the age of 59 on Wednesday, September 28th. The news of Coolio's passing was confirmed by his manager in a statement to TMZ, which reports that Coolio was found unconscious on the bathroom floor of a friend's home, with EMTs arriving and pronouncing him dead on the scene. In the time since Coolio's death was publicly confirmed, many have taken to social media to celebrate their favorite performances, whether in the music or film and television worlds. Among them is his stint as Kwanzaabot on the beloved animated series Futurama — and apparently, the show will be giving him a proper sendoff.
In a new interview with TMZ, Futurama executive producer David X. Cohen revealed that Coolio recorded lines for Kwanzaabot just a few weeks before his passing, which will be part of Hulu's upcoming 20-episode Futurama revival. Not only did Coolio record the lines, but he apparently freestyled an original song during the recording session. According to Cohen, the episode featuring Kwanzaabot will be dedicated to Coolio, and will feature him rapping over the closing credits. The series' creative team reportedly want to give Coolio "the best send-off we can."
"Coolio was one of my favorite guests," Cohen told TMZ. "He was always totally upbeat and genuinely enjoyed coming in to record as his character Kwanzaabot."
Beginning in Season 3, Coolio voiced Kwanzaabot, one of Futurama's several Holiday-Bots. His scene-stealing performance as the character popped up in two episodes of the show, as well as the Bender's Big Score tie-in movie. In addition to his appearances on Futurama, Coolio's onscreen performances have included Leprechaun in the Hood, The Convent, Dracula 3000, and others. He'd also appear in a handful of Marvel and DC adaptations, with small roles in Batman & Robin and the extended director's cut of the original Daredevil feature film. He released a total of eight studio albums across his career, and contributed the song "Gangsta's Paradise" to the Michelle Pfeiffer-led movie Dangerous Minds, and the theme song to Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel.
What do you think of Coolio returning as Kwanzaabot in Futurama's upcoming revival? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!