Coolio Recorded ‘Futurama’ Revival Cameo as Kwanzaa-bot Weeks Before Death
Coolio recorded lines for the “Futurama” revival at Hulu just weeks before his death at age 59.
“Futurama” executive producer David X. Cohen told TMZ that the rapper reprised his role as Kwanzaa-bot for the revival, even recording some new music as the character.
Fans of the series will recall that Kwanzaa-bot was the counterpart to Robot Santa and the Chanukah Zombie. Every year he flies around the world distributing a book called “What the Hell is Kwanza [sic]?”
He originally appeared in the Season 4 episode “A Tale of Two Santas” and again in the Season 7 episode “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular.” He also made a cameo in the “Futurama” film “Bender’s Big Score.”
“Coolio was one of my favorite guests,” Cohen said. “He was always totally upbeat and genuinely enjoyed coming in to record as his character Kwanzaa-bot.” Cohen also said that the episode in which Coolio appears will be dedicated to him.
As previously reported, Coolio collapsed at a friend’s home in Los Angeles on Sept. 28. Paramedics attempted to revive him but to no avail.
The “Futurama” revival was first ordered at Hulu back in February. The streaming service gave the series a 20-episode order. The original cast of the series will return for the revival, though John DiMaggio, who voices Bender, was not attached at first. He stated on social media that he felt the cast deserved to be paid more for the new episodes, creating the hashtag #Bendergate. He announced that he had re-joined the series in March.