Here's How Coolio Will Appear One Last Time On The Futurama Revival
The tragic death of Coolio on September 28 has every corner of the entertainment industry reeling thanks to the scope of his multi-hyphenate talents. Entertainers across the industry are sharing fond remembrances of the rapper-turned-actor. Michelle Pfeiffer paid a heartfelt tribute to Coolio, citing his Grammy-winning song "Gangsta's Paradise" as the engine behind the success of 1995's "Dangerous Minds," and Kenan Thompson — for whom Coolio penned the "Kenan & Kel" theme song — shared his condolences as well.
Coolio got his start as a rapper with WC and the Maad Circle, and over the course of his lengthy career, he released eight solo studio albums. Fans fondly remember Coolio for his on-screen performances in projects like "Batman & Robin," "Martin," and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (via IMDb). Coolio also lent his voice to Futurama to play KwanzaaBot, a holiday season mainstay of the 31st century. Here's how Coolio will portray KwanzaaBot one last time in the upcoming "Futurama" reboot.
Coolio already recorded his KwanzaaBot dialogue
Coolio originated the role of KwanzaaBot in a 2001 episode of "Futurama" when he brought the Pan-African celebration into the 31st century alongside Robot Santa Claus (John DiMaggio) and the Chanukah Zombie (Mark Hamill). He reprised the character in the 2007 "Futurama" movie "Bender's Big Score," as well as Season 7's "Futurama Holiday Spectacular." Now, the late great Coolio will voice KwanzaaBot one last time for Hulu's "Futurama" revival.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Coolio recorded his KwanzaaBot lines a few weeks before his death. He also recorded some rap verses that are set to play over the episode's closing credits. "Futurama" producer David X. Cohen confirmed that the episode will be dedicated to the late rapper. "All of us at 'Futurama' send our sincere condolences to Coolio's family, friends, and fans," Cohen related to Entertainment Weekly. "He was one of our favorite guests, always upbeat and enthusiastic. This news was especially shocking since he looked and sounded great when we saw him in the studio just a few weeks ago, for what was an especially fun session. I thanked him for returning to do the part once again, and he said, 'Everybody loves KwanzaaBot.' It was an honor to have gotten the chance to work with him."
The 8th season of "Futurama" is set to premiere sometime in 2023.