Coolio was set to headline his first Las Vegas residency before sudden death at 59
- The hip-hop star, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, died last Wednesday in Los Angeles. from a suspected cardiac arrest
- The rapper – born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. – was in talks with ongoing Sin City residency Boombox!, held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
- Jimmy Maynes – who is chief creative officer of production company Fan Rebellion which produces the residency – said they were in negotiations with Coolio before his sudden death
- Boombox! specializes in old-school hip-hop acts from the 1980s and 90s as they have booked big names like Salt N Pepa, CeeLo Green, and Tone Loc
- Maynes said that the plan was to have Coolio headline the show starting the end of October through the second week of November for a total of 10 days with one performance per day at 5 days a week for a total of ten concerts
- Coolio had been performing up until the end and was going to continue to enjoy life on the road as in the three weeks leading up to his death
It has been revealed that Coolio was set to headline his first Las Vegas residency before his unfortunate passing at age 59 last week.
The hip-hop star, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, died last Wednesday in Los Angeles. from a suspected cardiac arrest.
The rapper – born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. – was in talks with ongoing Sin City residency Boombox!, held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, according to TMZ on Tuesday.
Jimmy Maynes – who is chief creative officer of production company Fan Rebellion which produces the residency – told the publication that they were in negotiations with Coolio before his sudden death.
Tragic: It has been revealed that Coolio (pictured in Chicago on September 18) was set to headline his first Las Vegas residency before his unfortunate passing at age 59 last week
Boombox! specializes in old-school hip-hop acts from the 1980s and 90s as they have booked big names like Salt N Pepa, CeeLo Green, and Tone Loc.
Maynes said that the plan was to have Coolio headline the show starting the end of October through the second week of November for a total of 10 days with one performance per day at 5 days a week for a total of ten concerts.
He also told the publication that when the residency returns, they will be incorporate a Coolio tribute to the show which they have done previously with Biz Markie.
Coolio had been performing up until the end and was going to continue to enjoy life on the road as in the three weeks leading up to his death, he performed at seven packed-out shows in the three weeks and had even more dates in the pipeline, as he was due to continue his I Love The 90s Tour into November.
Celebration: The rapper – born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. – was in talks with ongoing Sin City residency Boombox!, held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, according to TMZ on Tuesday
Shows: Coolio (pictured on September 18) had made an array of appearances at festivals packed with partygoers across the summer and was in the middle of his sell-out tour with 90s stars Vanilla Ice and Young MC at the time of his tragic passing
Just four days before his death, Coolio posted his last ever Instagram post, which documented his final performance on Saturday, where he belted out the 1999 hit Gangsta’s Paradise while eager fans cheered along.
At his final show, Coolio was seen dancing across the stage and standing on railings as he once again did not fail to impress fans with his high energy show at The Roundup Music Venue in Boerne, Texas.
Hours after the show, he shared his last ever Instagram post, which featured a montage of highlights from his spectacular performance, where he showed off his rapping talents and was joined by a live band as crowds could be seen dancing along.
Sad news: Rapper Coolio (pictured on September 18) died on Wednesday at the age of 59, but in the weeks leading up until his shocking death, the beloved musician was busy doing what he loved as he took to the stage at a string of sold-out shows
Coolio, who had a net worth of $1.5million at the time of his death, had also spent the previous weeks travelling around America in the midst of his sell-out tour, which saw him take to the stage at seven shows in three weeks.
Across the summer, he had also toured across Europe and the US and even made an appearance at ERA Music Festival in Florida as part of his much-anticipated tour – which was due to continue until November.
In the final weeks of his life, Coolio took to stage at 24th Street Stage in Virginia Beach on September 4, followed by shows at Denny Sanford Premier Center in South Dakota and The Caverns in Tennessee.
He then travelled around Texas where he impressed fans with a string of shows, including at The Backyard Bar Stage Grill on September 16 and The Barn At Frio Grill on September 23.
Festival: Coolio also stopped off in Chicago, Illinois, on September 18 to perform for eager crowds at Riot Fest in Douglass Park
Coolio also visited the Eventplex At The Frederick Fairgrounds on September 22, after he had stopped off in Chicago, Illinois, on September 18 to perform for eager crowds at Riot Fest in Douglass Park.
Photographs from the festival showed the star putting on an energetic performance as he took to the stage and held the microphone out to fans for them to sing along to his top hits.
He looked stylish in patterned green shorts and a matching jacket, which he paired with a green polo shirt as he belted out his popular tracks at the outdoor event.
His poignant final performance then came at The Roundup Music Venue in Texas on September 24, where he was supported by 90s star Vanilla Ice.
Final show: Just four days before his death, Coolio posted his last ever Instagram post, which documented his final performance on Saturday, where he belted out the 1999 hit Gangsta’s Paradise while eager fans cheered along
Coolio was set to continue his I Love The 90s Tour, with upcoming performances set to take place at Camelback Ranch in Arizona – with Vanilla Ice, Rob Base, Tone Loc and Young M.C – on September 30, and another show on November 18 at the PPL Center in Pennsylvania.
This comes after it was revealed that the rapper had steered clear of drugs and excess drinking in the years leading up to his death despite struggling with substance abuse in the past, according to a close friend.
The rap artist’s history of drug abuse and crack cocaine addiction led some fans to speculate he died of a drug overdose, after being found on his friend’s bathroom floor in downtown LA.
But his manager said the cause appeared to be a heart attack, and a close friend also testified to Coolio’s sobriety in recent years.
Coolio had a history of drug abuse and crack cocaine addiction but was sober in the years leading up to his death, a friend of the rapper told DailyMail.com
Coolio’s close friend Eric Yano (pictured) said never saw him drink or take any drugs in the 18 years he knew him, his manager also said his cause of death appeared to be a heart attack
Eric Yano, a Vegas-based friend of the late rapper who has known him for 18 years told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that despite Coolio’s struggles with drugs in the past, he had never seen him drink, smoke or take any substances during their two-decade friendship.
‘He would never show up intoxicated or on a different planet like most people. I never saw him drinking. He’d usually have a glass of water,’ Yano said.
‘A lot of people would ask to smoke a joint with him but he never smoked.
‘When the news came yesterday about his passing, I was shocked. Was it something health related?
‘But I was just with him a few weeks ago, and he seemed completely fine. No mention of any sort of heart condition or any medical condition.’
Yano, 45, who runs VIP events at MGM hotels and casinos in Vegas, said he first met Coolio around 2004 on the Strip looking for a cab, gave him a ride home and became firm friends from then on.
The nightlife rep and the rapper had launched a new business, Send Me To Vegas, which involved guests paying for a party bus tour of the Strip accompanied by Coolio, entertaining his guests and singing his hit songs on the ride.
Despite his stellar success with multi-platinum records and his biggest hit, Gangsta’s Paradise, reaching a billion YouTube views in July this year, Coolio was not a rich man, his friend revealed.
Coolio, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, was not a rich man at the time of his death, despite his stellar success with his biggest hit and other multi-platinum records
Eric Yano shared videos of him and Coolio hanging out in Las Vegas prior to his death
Documents from a 2010 child support case filed by his ex Anabella Chatman show he was making just $1,387 per month.
Yano told DailyMail.com Coolio loved performing and was less focused on making money.
‘What mattered to Coolio was entertaining people, whether that was up on stage or just in conversation at dinner,’ he said.
Coolio fathered at least 11 children. Four were with his first wife, LA city official and radio personality Josefa Salinas, and at least two were with his current long-term partner, model Mimi Ivey, and others with several girlfriends.
At the time of his death, he was living in Las Vegas, but had traveled to Los Angeles to correct an issue he was having with his passport.
The rapper had shows scheduled in Germany this weekend and so was in need of proper documentation.
Coolio’s manager, Jarez, said he was preparing to join the rapper when he received a call about the collapse in the bathroom.
The manager subsequently said he was told Coolio died of a heart attack, though that has not yet been confirmed.
Police did not discover drugs or drug paraphernalia in the bathroom.
Fan Mika Janday shared a photo posing with Coolio, who appeared happy, healthy, and engaging just days before his unexpected death at age 59
Passing: EMTs pronounced Coolio dead on the scene and an autopsy is now underway to establish the official cause of death – though law enforcement sources shared that ‘no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene’
Gone too soon: The musician – famous for his hit song Gangsta’s Paradise – was visiting a friend on Wednesday afternoon when he was found dead (Pictured 10 days ago)
Devastated fans have since highlighted the singer’s lifelong asthma as a possible cause of death.
He was regularly seen puffing on an inhaler at gigs, although his friend and longtime manager, Jarez, claims he died of a heart attack
On the day of his death, Coolio had reportedly gone to the bathroom at a friend’s house, but did not emerge for a long time.
That prompted the friend to investigate. Coolio was laying on the bathroom floor unresponsive when he was found.
The friend called emergency services and EMTs quickly responded but found no signs of life.
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed by a medical examiner.
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