Prior to his untimely death at age 59, Grammy Award winner Coolio, and longtime collaborator DJ Wino, had been wrapping up in the studio, recording what would have been the rapper’s first studio album release since 2009’s From The Bottom 2 the Top.
The hip-hop emcee’s estate, along with 1 Pic Entertainment and Strategic Media Entertainment/Intercept Music, will be releasing “Tag ‘You It”, featuring Too Short, and the single’s accompanying music video. The visual, directed by Ken Francis and Kniknotti, marks the last piece of content Coolio appears in before his passing from cardiac arrest on September 28, 2022.
“TAG ‘You It” will be the first posthumous release from hip-hop legend Coolio and the lead single off of his upcoming fifth studio album LONG LIVE COOLIO. Recorded and intended for release while he was still alive, the new single features contributions from Too Short and DJ Wino. Paying homage to 90s hip-hop — the new single is catchy, raunchy, and raw in all of the right ways. Paired with an extravagant and humorous video in perfect Coolio fashion, “TAG ‘You It’” is sure to create controversy and buzz.
DJ Wino, who did 12 out of 16 songs on It Takes a Thief, including the hit single “Fantastic Voyage”, was also one of the executive producers for Gangsta’s Paradise, and produced 12 songs out of 14 on Coolio‘s ninth and last Album Long Live Coolio.
Speaking exclusively to Chad Kiser, DJ Wino said, “30 years ago me and Coolio started a solo career in my garage. Embarked on a fantastic voyage. 30 years later we ended everything with Coolio going to a Gangsta’s Paradise. See you when I get there brother Long Live Coolio!”
LONG LIVE COOLIO is set to be released worldwide this year and features collaborations from DJ Wino, Too Short, Treach, and more. Fans can pre-save the project here and follow Coolio’s website for updates.
Artis Leon Ivey Jr., known professionally as Coolio, first rose to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle. Coolio achieved mainstream success as a solo artist in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta’s Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). He is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award–winning hit single “Gangsta’s Paradise”, as well as other singles “Fantastic Voyage” (1994), “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” (1996), and “C U When U Get There” (1997). From 1996 on, Coolio released albums independently and provided the opening track “Aw, Here It Goes!” for the 1996 Nickelodeon television series Kenan & Kel. He created the web series Cookin’ with Coolio and released a cookbook.
On September 28, 2022, while at a friend’s house in Los Angeles, California, Coolio was discovered unresponsive on a bathroom floor, and pronounced dead by first responders. He was 59 years old at the time of his death. Coolio’s manager stated he appeared to have suffered cardiac arrest. In 2023, Coolio’s estate decided to move forward with the release of his previously recorded material, to honor his memory with the future release of a posthumous album titled, LONG LIVE COOLIO.