Australia’s national day of mourning for US rapper Coolio will be held next Thursday 6th of October, Anthony Albanese has confirmed.
Wearing a Coolio t-shirt, and holding a limited edition vinyl press of 1994’s ‘It Takes a Thief’, the Prime Minister said Coolio had been a constant in the lives of all Australians, and the day of mourning would be an opportunity for all of us to pay our respects.
“He was there on our radios, on our TV screens and at my 40th birthday party actually – there’s a great story about that,” he said.
“I’ll always remember the Coolio concert I went to in ’96 when he asked me to get up on the decks and play a warm-up set. Although that could have been a dream. Hard to tell”.
The PM encouraged all Australians to reflect on Coolio’s remarkable contribution to Australia. “Who amongst us hasn’t sung along to Gangster’s Paradise, pretending to know all the words, and then getting a little bit louder for the ‘It’s goin on in the kitchen’ bit?”
A solemn Albanese said Coolio was a kindred spirit. “As he himself said, ‘I’m an educated fool with money on my mind. Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye. I’m a loc’d out gangsta set trippin’ banger. And my homies is down so don’t arouse my anger, fool.’”
