Coolio Didn't Get to Launch His Cannabis Brand
The late rapper poses next to large rack of drying buds, the photos being taken in August, 2020. Source: the Facebook page of Coolio's Cannabis
His life was cut entirely too short, to paraphrase actress Michelle Pfeiffer, one of many stars who paid tribute following the unexpected passing of iconic rap legend Coolio last month. Apart from a successful, decades-long career in music and film, the rapper was keen to launch his own weed brand, too. Unfortunately, Coolio's personal cannabis brand never came to be.
The famous rapper collapsed in a bathroom at a friend's house in Los Angeles on September 28. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His manager stated that it appeared Coolio had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Coolio was cremated in a private ceremony, without funeral service. Part of his ashes is reported to have been encased in family jewelry, with the rest preserved in an urn.
While we will always remember him for his music, in particular earworms such as "Gangsta's Paradise" and "C U When U Get There," unfortunately, we'll never get to appreciate the cannabis brand Coolio was working at.
Coolio had huge plans to launch Coolio's Cannabis back in 2020. In August of that year, the rapper shared on Facebook that with his cannabis team, he had visited partners at Red Wood Cultivation facilities in Nevada. "Where the magic happens!" his post said, hinting that this is going to be the next potent flower brand boosted by a major Hollywood star. In the photos, Coolio poses in front of a large rack of weed buds drying behind him. "We will be back very soon!" another post said on Instagram.
Coolio's plans for becoming the next ganja entrepreneur faced major setbacks, however. The pandemic is said to have played a significant part in halting his fledgling enterprise.
Coolio's dreams of a weed empire never came to fruition. But he continued with promotional activities for a little longer, visiting places such as Reef Dispensaries in Nevada. Getting involved with MjBizCon was also considered. Cannabis cooking may have been in the plans, too.
In March 2020, the rapper met with famed cannabis chef Zairilla Bacon in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bacon, who has worked with several other hip-hop performers at various cannabis food events, posted a footage with the rapper in the kitchen as he helps prepare weed-laced treats.
Cannabis cooking may have worked exceptionally well. It was in 2013 when Coolio sold off his entire back catalog, including Gangsta Paradise, with the intention of funding his aspiring career as a chef with the money. The rapper went on to release Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals for a 1 Star Price. He called himself the "ghetto Martha Stewart" and notoriously proclaimed that "everything I cook tastes better than yo' momma's nipples." The dishes he invited us to try? You couldn't say no to "Mozzarella for the Pimpish Fella" or "Drunk Ass Chicken."
You are dearly missed, Coolio!
S
Stephen Andrews
