Coolio’s girlfriend has shared her sadness, shock and happy memories with the rapper in an exclusive interview with .
Mimi Ivey, his longtime partner since 2012, announced Coolio, 59, will be cremated and not buried – in accordance with his own instructions to his family.
And amid rumors of infidelity, Ivey told she was aware he was dating other women but the couple had an understanding and kept no secrets with each other.
“We were best friends. We would talk about anything and joke and laugh about anything. There was never a dull moment with him,” said the 41-year-old mother of three.
“He was an eccentric, a storyteller. He loved life. He loved his family, he loved his career and he loved making people smile.”
The late rapper Coolio’s longtime partner Mimi Ivey (pictured together) opened up about their happy moments together and revealed the devastating moment she learned of his sudden death
Ivey, who dated the rap star since 2012, referred to Coolio — real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr. — as her “husband” on social media and took his last name, but the couple weren’t legally married
The 59-year-old rapper, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, died Wednesday of suspected cardiac arrest.
He was pronounced dead after being found lying on the bathroom floor at a friend’s house in downtown LA.
Mimi recounted the devastating moment when she received the call from his sudden death.
“I just remember all the air and life coming out of my body,” she said. “I was outside preparing to take my son to soccer practice.
“All I remember is falling to my knees. I broke down.’
Mimi, an exotic dancer, chef and entrepreneur, said she first met Coolio in 2004 but didn’t hit it off and only started dating after a mutual friend introduced her again seven years later.
But then again, she said, the Gangster’s Paradise rapper wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“He was very persistent. He wouldn’t let me go,’ she said.
She even woke up early one morning during her courtship to find that her boyfriend had let him into her house.
“I just woke up and he was in my room, serving me breakfast in bed,” she said. “I was a bit confused. It’s hilarious now, love having this memory.
Mimi revealed she was preparing to take her son to soccer practice when she received the call about Coolio’s sudden death. She shared heartwarming photos of the couple on social media
Mimi told she was aware he was dating other women and that she and her partner had reached an agreement
In 2013, the couple appeared together on Celebrity Wife Swap (pictured with their children), but the stress of the reality show led to a four-month split
“He said, ‘You’re officially my girl. You belong to Me. You belong to Me. We belong Together. And I said, “Okay.”
Mimi referred to Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., as her “husband” on social media and took his last name, but the couple weren’t legally married.
“We went to the court, filled out all the paperwork and planned it. But we just decided not to give it up,” she said.
“It’s just a piece of paper that doesn’t change how we both felt about each other.”
But she said Coolio is in every way a husband and a father to her children from her previous relationship — her daughter even officially asked him to be her father.
“My daughter asked him to be her father, they had a discussion about it, and he chose to take on her father’s role,” she said. “He accepted the role 100%.”
In 2013, the couple appeared together on “Celebrity Wife Swap”. The stress of the reality show led to a four-month breakup.
“Yes, we had our ups and downs. But I don’t care who you are, if you say you have a perfect relationship then it’s not real,” she told .
A source close to the rapper said he recently met another woman, but Mimi said she and her partner reached an agreement.
“He was who he was. When he dated other women, I knew about it,” she said.
“There’s nothing that man has ever done that he’s kept from me. We talked about everything. I knew his whole life. We had no secrets.’
Coolio, 59, has fathered at least 11 children. He is pictured above with daughters Brandi (second from left) Artisha and Jackie and Artis (far right) in 2008
Coolio and ex-wife Josefa Salina (left) were married from 1996 to 2000. He also has children with several girlfriends. He is pictured at right with one of his former flames
Coolio, best known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, is cremated in a private service as he didn’t want a funeral, Mimi said. He can be seen in one of his final public appearances in LA in early September
Mimi and Coolio, who had their own cooking show, started a cake and meal making business together during the pandemic.
She said that some of her fondest memories were of Thanksgiving – which Coolio insisted he didn’t celebrate – when they competed to prepare the most popular dish for their guests.
“Every Thanksgiving, he and I would have a cookout. His favorite dish was macaroni and cheese. Everyone came to eat and whoever had the least on their tray at the end of the night won,” she said.
The dancer and model said their partner was full of business plans and ideas he never saw through, and for the past few weeks the couple have been house-hunting in North Carolina in search of a home for future retirement.
“We were going to buy a piece of land and build the house out there,” she said.
“He lived a very wonderful life. You have no choice when you are taken out of this world. It’s a shock, but you can never prepare for it.”
Coolio’s posthumous instructions to his family include orders for him to be cremated – rather than buried.
“I respect his wishes. He wanted to be cremated. He didn’t want a funeral; he didn’t want a funeral service. He didn’t want any of it,’ she said.
Invitations to the planned cremation service have been restricted to the point of excluding even friends of decades, a source close to the rapper told .
The source added that they believed Coolio wanted to keep the event low-key in part to avoid potential clashes between his multiple baby moms.
Mimi, an exotic dancer, chef and entrepreneur, said she first met Coolio in 2004 but didn’t hit it off and only started dating after a mutual friend introduced her again seven years later
The couple seemed to be putting things back together after their brief split in 2013, with Mimi sharing pictures of him and only referring to the rapper as her “husband” in July last year. They are pictured above with friends in a social media photo
“I think maybe that had a little bit to do with the whole cremation thing,” the source said.
Coolio fathered 10 children, including four with his first wife, former LA city official and radio personality Josefa Salinas.
He dated Salinas from 1987. They were married from 1996 to 2000.
He had a son, Christopher Kal El Ivey Bellesi, with his ex-girlfriend Anabella Chatman, who he dated in 2009 and who took him to court in 2010 over child support payments.
The boy was believed to be his tenth and last child.