Coolio Gets Holiday Memoriam In New ‘Futurama’ Episode

The late Coolio got a heartfelt Futurama send-off in his posthumous voiceover as Kwanzaa-Bot. Prior to his death last September at 59 years old, the Grammy winner returned as Kwanzaa-Bot in the episode “I Know What You Did Next Xmas,” which premiered on Monday (August 28).

While the episode shows Kwanzaa-Bot linking up with Robot Santa and the Chanukah Zombie to teach children that there’s “a holiday for everyone,” Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., raps in a post-credits scene about his “Futurama Xmas list for 3023.” Also at the end of “Next Xmas” is a tribute to the Compton-raised rapper.

Screenshot from "I Know What You Did Next Xmas," Futurama/Hulu.

Last year, Futurama producer David X. Cohen confirmed to EW that Ivey reprised his role as KwanzaaBot in the Hulu reboot, also expressing sadness among the show’s team about the rapper’s passing.

“All of us at Futurama send our sincere condolences to Coolio’s family, friends, and fans. He was one of our favorite guests, always upbeat,” Cohen said. “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.”

Ivey died on September 28, 2022 in Los Angeles after he was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s home. The artist died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, confirmed by the Los Angeles County Coroner.