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Coolios longtime friend Mimi Ive paid tribute to the late rapper, who she was romantically linked to for a decade, in a new interview with the Chron on Monday October 3. Mimi, 41, looked back fondly on her time with the rapper. “We were best friends. We would talk about anything and joke and laugh about anything. He was never boring to be with,” she told the outlet.
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Mimi also shared some of her favorite qualities and memories with the rapper. “He was an eccentric, a storyteller. He loved life. He loved his family, he loved his career and he loved making people smile,” she said. “Yes, we had our ups and downs. But I don’t care who you are, if you say you have a perfect relationship, that’s not real.”
Another memory Mimi recalled was when she and Coolio almost got married but decided not to file the paperwork for their marriage. Though the couple never legally married, Mimi revealed her love for Coolio was so important to her. “It’s just a piece of paper that doesn’t change how we feel about each other,” she explained.
The chef and entrepreneur also revealed that while they weren’t married, her daughter viewed Coolio as a father figure. “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 noted. “He took on that role 100%.”
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Coolio and Mimi dated from 2012 until his death on September 28 at the age of 59. “I just remember all the air and life coming out of my body,” she told the publication of the moment she learned of his sudden death. “I was outside preparing to take my son to soccer practice. All I remember is falling to my knees. I broke down.” The couple appeared together on the TV shows Love Goals and Celebrity Wife Swap.
Before entering into a long-term relationship with Mimi, Coolio was married to her Josefa Salinas from 1996 to 2000. He had four children with her.
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Since Coolio’s death, Mimi has given two tributes to her late boyfriend. “I will never forget you. You will always be by my side,” she wrote on Sunday, October 2, along with a series of photos and a video.
The day after this death, Mimi wrote a longer caption next to a selfie with him. “Words cannot express the pain I am feeling right now. You are my soul mate, husband, lover and best friend. I’m so happy you called me on FaceTime at 2am and woke me up to tell me you love and miss me,” she began. “If I had known that this would be my last conversation with you, I would not have let you hang up. I miss you Boo and I’m staying strong and I’ll see you when I get there!”
Mimi revealed that Coolio will not have a funeral to his liking and there will be a very private cremation for his family and friends. However, the invite list is reportedly so exclusive that even some of his longest friends won’t be able to attend the cremation ceremony.