Rapper Coolio was a successful artist in the 90s. So successful that by the ’00s, he was able to enjoy a laid-back career hopping from reality show to reality show while quietly pursuing his passion for cooking. When Coolio passed away earlier this year, he left behind a devastated community of family, friends, and fans. However, the rapper failed to leave behind a Will and now his seven children are listed in probate.
Leon Ivey Jr. was born in Los Angeles, CA, and raised in Compton. He rose to the mainstream in the early ’90s thanks to a string of well-received singles, including his signature song, “Gangsta’s Paradise.” It became one of the most successful rap songs of all time and solidified his status. While he continues to release music, nothing ever came close to the success of his biggest hit. After living off residuals for over a decade, Coolio decided to sell off his catalog for a large payout and a chance to fund his chef career. He auctioned off over 100 songs with an estimated value of about $225k in 2013. It is unclear how much he got or if the rights reverted back to him before his time of death. “Gangsta’s Paradise” alone is said to generate about $6 million a year in royalties.
Coolio would score a number of big collaborations during his career as well. In 2021 he partnered with Hormel to promote free bacon-scented wrapping paper. The collaboration was released for the holiday season in an attempt to “show fans how Hormel Black Label bacon can elevate the ordinary appetizer, entrée and even gift to something unexpected and truly extraordinary,” Hormel’s senior brand manager Nick Schweitzer told the press. It was given to select members of the company’s fans through their website. In the promotional video, Coolio rapped about the bacon-scented wrapping paper while also wrapping gifts.
Coolio also released a collaboration with adult entertainment site PornHub in 2014, where he rapped about their selection of exclusive content while partying poolside with some of the site’s premiere actresses. “Take It To The Hub” was released on Pornhub Records and currently has 1 million streams on the site. The rapper also hinted to running as a Presidential running mate in 2020 following Donald Trump’s successful run.
Coolio really did have a love for the culinary arts and took it all the way to the bank, collaborating with White Castle on a stuffing recipe based on their famous sliders. It came complete with an episode of him giving viewers a step-by-step on how to make the fast food thanksgiving side just in time for the holidays. “With its Thanksgiving campaign, White Castle wants to help customers rethink their holiday celebrations,” they said in their official statement.
It appears Coolio had an idea to start his own Cannabis company. The late rapper is listed as a co-founder on Coolio’s Cannibas’ Instagram account. According to the profile, Coolio’s Cannibas provides premium cannabis products. However, after clicking link to the actual website it appears to be inactive. Other than that, there’s not much known about the company or brand. One of the most lucrative ways Coolio continued to build his income was through live performances. The Gangsta Paradise rapper was working and performing up until the day he passed, clearly not thinking he was living in his final days.
Unfortunately, the late rapper did not leave a will, and now his seven children have been listed in a probate to split his estate currently estimated above $300K estate. When you divide $300,000 by seven children, each person will receive between $40K and $50K depending on the final calculations of his estate.
