Sean Evans is a YouTuber most famous for his series where he invites celebrities to join him for a wing-by-wing challenge, uncovering who can handle the heat and who needs to take a step out of the kitchen. Hot Ones has allowed many a fan-favorite celebrity to sit across from Evans and be interviewed as they both eat wings adorned with some of the spiciest sauces out there.
One of Evans’ most beloved guests was rapper and icon Coolio, who joined him for a sit down in March of 2016, and the pair talked about everything from Coolio’s love of food to his iconic and life-changing song, and why he feels like he’s the best of the best — in more ways than one.
Coolio walked around with the persona of someone too cool for this world, but in interviews like this one and fan experiences that were shared online, you really get a glimpse at the man behind the persona. Yes, Coolio was amazing, a bit magical, in fact, but he was a down-to-Earth guy, confident and sure of himself in all the right ways, but willing to admit a mistake and become vulnerable enough to share his struggles as he worked through the industry. Coolio was also fun enough to take on a challenge like Hot Ones and to do so in a way that makes his episode, and the finale wing moment, one of the most legendary of Evans’ series as a whole.
When news broke in late 2022 that Coolio had passed away, things like this became more important than ever to his fans. His music, film, and television projects were still so beloved by those who grew up with Coolio, but these moments where he opened up and shared so many parts of his story were things that fans could hold onto and enjoy for years to come.
So just how far did Coolio make it on Hot Ones, what was the sauce that did him in, and what else did he open up about during his chat with Evans? Sit back, turn on Gangsta’s Paradise, and relax — because we’ve got you covered.
How far did Coolio make it on Hot Ones?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Coolio made it all the way during the Hot Ones challenge. A chef and connoisseur of all things food, the challenge wasn’t just exciting for him — it was something wonderful for his palate. Coolio actually talked to Evans about his love for cooking throughout the challenge, and he ate each wing like a champ.
With each bite, you could see Coolio feeling what was going on, but he didn’t let on that things were actually getting hot until close to the end, instead sucking it up and existing through the burning feeling in his mouth, watering eyes, and sweat dripping down his face. He was the definition of a trooper through the entire experience, and he deserves a medal for how he ended his run on the show.
Of course, the final sauce is always THE LAST DAB XXX, and Evans warned him against handling the wing the way he did, but this is Coolio we’re talking about. So when he got to the last wing, Evans mentioned that he recommends “dabbing it” so as not to overwhelm the body. We were shocked, but not surprised, to see the rapper and artist completely cover it in the sauce and eat the entire thing. Not only did he down the whole piece of chicken, but he also proceeded to lick his fingers after as Evans just stared at him in shock and awe.
Once Evans took a bite of his wing, he finally spoke to Coolio, saying that was easily the “cockiest move he’s ever seen,” but not in a condescending way; it was more in the way of sheer surprise that someone could handle that and play it off as cool as Coolio did.
Okay, well, he almost totally played it off. Coolio started feeling the effects of the wing challenge shortly after, and no matter how much ice he put in his mouth or how many times he wiped the sweat off his face — he was hot. However, he didn’t let it stop him as he kept talking to Evans.
He gave his final plug, and while he initially called help over to walk him through it, he ended up sharing a lot of it himself, but you could tell that each time he opened his mouth, he felt that burn again. Even in his moments of sheer burning from the inside, Coolio played it off like it wasn’t a big deal, and his episode has to be one of the best.
Coolio reveals his Juggalo tattoo
During his Hot Ones chat, Coolio also opened up about spending weekends with the ICP and Juggalo gatherings; the rapper didn’t shy away from the topic of conversation or look down as if he had something to hide; he fully embraced it and had a lot of really kind words to say about the community.
People write off the Juggalo community as something unsavory, often, they’re seen as classless and an aspect of society people aren’t hesitant to joke about, but several celebrities have spoken out about the kindness of their group and how family oriented they are. Coolio is one of them.
“I was adopted into it, I was adopted by the Juggalos. It’s a really big into that family thing. A lot of people would call them the scorched of the earth but I think that they’re family-oriented people that a lot of them are people who, they don’t have family, they’re kids that were adopted or kids that were in the system, or kids that their families were hardcore on drugs, and they didn’t give a da– about them. I put it to you like this anywhere you go: if you find some of your Juggalo And you find some other Juggalos they’ll — they’ll give you a place to sleep, they’ll feed you, they’ll give you some money to help you move on to your next destination or whatever. Whatever you need, they’ll help you out; they’ll get you high, you know, they’ll get you drunk. You know?”
The community that’s often built on the outskirts of what people deem “normal” or valuable is there to help one another, and Coolio enjoyed his time with them as often as he could.
Coolio’s moving quote about his legacy
Evans asked Coolio about his legacy and how he hoped people would look back on him after his passing, and it really hits home now. News broke on Sep. 28, 2022, that Coolio had passed away far too young, at just 59 years old. It came out soon after that the cause of his death was an accidental Fentanyl overdose, and the rapper had never been mum about his struggles with addiction; he had been doing much better in the years before his death.
At first, Coolio said he didn’t think about his legacy much, and then he had a visceral reaction to the heat building in his mouth, but he took a moment to gain his composure, and he shared what he hoped people would think when they looked back on his life when the time came.
“I just want people to say that was a real m—-, he was hella cool.”
His untimely passing hit home for those who grew up on Coolio’s music and his story, finding inspiration in his honesty and openness. Coolio wasn’t just a rapper, he was an icon in music and entertainment, and his episode of Hot Ones might be our favorite yet, not just because we grew up on his albums, but because he shared so much of himself with fans during it.
When Evans asked about “Gangsta’s Paradise” folklore, Coolio shut down an untrue rumor about the song and gave fans the real story instead. When he first heard the beat of the track, he didn’t know what it was going to turn into or who it was for, but he immediately told his producer that it was his. He then says that the song isn’t something he sat down and put pen to paper to write the song, but that the song wrote him. It was an entity that sort of wrote itself, and it certainly altered things for Coolio, setting him on a life-changing career path.
No matter how you met Coolio or what chapter of your life you remember hearing his vocals be the narration of, he impacted all of us in song and entertainment. If there’s something we can look back at and smile, it’s this — the legacy he hoped to leave behind is undoubtedly the one he embodied. From having sweat wiped off of him as he finished up his interview to laughing at some of his past mistakes and taking the opportunity to grow from them, it’s no surprise that he had such a loyal and intense fan base; there was — and still is — a lot to love about him.