Marty: ‘Coolio dancing RTE staff was quite the moment'
RAPPER’S SURPRISE GIG ON AFTERNOON SHOW IS RECALLED
MARTY Whelan led the Irish tributes to Coolio following the news of his death, while the world of hip-hop and rap mourned the loss of a legend.
The US rapper, real name Artis Levon Ivey Jr, known for his 1995 hit Gangsta’s Paradise, passed away on Wednesday aged 59.
His manager Sheila Finegan confirmed the news in a statement saying: “We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and client, Coolio, who passed away this afternoon.
“He touched the world with the gift of his talent and will be missed profoundly.
“Thank you to everyone worldwide who has listened to his music and to everyone who has been reaching out regarding his passing.
Prayers
“Please have Coolio’s loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
The rapper was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s house in Los Angeles, according to US media reports.
And as tributes flooded in around the globe, Winning Streak presenter Marty led the Irish tributes to the late performer, saying he remembers him ‘with great fondness’ as he shared a video clip from when he first met him while presenting RTE’s afternoon show,
Open House, in 2002.
The music legend delivered a memorable performance of Ghetto Square Dance on the show and even some of the show’s crew got their moment in the spotlight as they acted as his backing dancers.
Iconic
Recalling the iconic telly moment, as footage resurfaced following news of Coolio’s death yesterday, Marty said: “Ah Coolio, I remember him with great fondness.
“To have him dancing with the staff was quite the moment. Which they did willingly.”
A video resurfaced of the moment of Coolio’s bizarre performance on the show — with comedy writer James Cotter saying Coolio is rumoured to have been “booked by mistake” and the crew realised too late that no backing dancers had been booked.
“They hadn’t arranged backing dancers, so he made the middle-age production crew dress up and do it instead. Best TV ever,” Mr Cotter said on Twitter.
Winning Streak host Marty confirmed the rumours about the dancers.
“He was a gorgeous man. He was a joyous fella. He got involved in the whole gangster rap thing, but he was much older than a lot of the other guys.
“He’d be ten or 12 years older than them, so he was above a lot of the nonsense that went on.
“How I’ll be able to play him on Lyric FM in the morning, I’ve no idea,” he said laughing.
Irish comedy puppet duo Podge and Rodge also paid tribute, and shared a video clip of their interview with the late star on their own RTE show in 2009.
Ciaran Morrison and Mick O’Hara of Double Z Creative, who are also the voices behind popular Irish TV puppets Zig and Zag said: “In 1995 when Gangsta’s Paradise broke we interviewed Coolio and L.V (‘Luncheon Voucher’ as Zig called him) in a tent outside the Big Breakfast house as it was midterm, and he was lots of fun.
“Then in 2009 we got to interview him again as Podge and Rodge on our chat show! Always a great guest and very funny.”
Coolio was no stranger to Ireland, and spent some of his final days this summer touring and working in Dublin.
Shock
Before his death, the star revealed that he was also in town working on a new music collaboration with Aslan’s Christy Dignam.
He said: “We’ve just got into it. We’re working on a track.
We haven’t even started writing any lyrics.”
News of his passing sent shockwaves throughout the rap and hip hop world — as fellow stars and friends in the industry including Snoop Dogg, Ice
Cube and MC Hammer, spoke of their heartbreak.
Ice Cube said: “This is sad news. I witnessed first hand this man’s grind to the top of the industry. Rest In Peace Coolio.”
MC Hammer described Coolio as “one of the nicest dudes I’ve known”.
Snoop Dogg shared a picture of the two on Instagram, writing: “Gangstas paradise. R I P.”
Michelle Pfeiffer — who starred in Dangerous Minds, which famously featured Gangsta’s Paradise — said she was “heartbroken” to hear the news of his death.
His CBB housemate Ulrika Jonsson said “He was a misogynist, broke wind a lot; fancied himself as a cook, but my God, we had so many laughs.”