When Coolio cooked a meal for Westhoughton student

Following the death of US rapper Coolio, 59, The Bolton News has been looking back at the time the famous ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ star cooked for a Westhoughton student and sang an acoustic rendition of the famous song. 

Coolio, who died on Wednesday, September 28, is said to have “touched the world” with his talent and will be “missed profoundly” according to his management.

The rapper was born in Pennsylvania, but later moved to Compton, California, where he released his first single in 1987.

Coolio (Image: PA)

He recorded Gangsta’s Paradise for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, and it went on to become one of the most successful rap songs of all time.

A song that Claudia Doherty and her flatmates heard performed by Coolio himself in the living room of their student house.

In 2013, the international rap star turned Claudia, from Westhoughton, into an internet sensation after cooking a three-course meal for her and her seven student housemates.

The American rapper even missed a flight to Zurich to spend time entertaining his new friends.

Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr, performed at Preston’s Ships and Giggles and MACs Bar as Doherty and her friends went to watch him.

Whilst there, she was asked by bar staff, who recognised the group, if they wanted to go into the VIP area.

After hitting it off with the University of Central Lancashire students Coolio told them he would cook them dinner — despite being due to fly out to Switzerland as part of his tour.

Miss Doherty, a former pupil at St Joseph’s High School in Horwich, said: “A couple of us went to work as we didn’t think he would come because he was supposed to be catching a flight.

“He came round and said he thought we were really cool people. We went to Tesco with him and people were recognising him.

“People from around the world have got in touch with us since. It’s crazy, I am just a girl from Bolton and this has happened. He was so down to earth; he could have been one of my housemates.”

Coolio, who has his own programme, Cookin’ with Coolio, made the students a Caprese salad, his special “chicken á la daaaamn”, and peach cobbler.

Miss Doherty said: “The dinner was amazing. It was the best meal we have had in ages — we are all students on a budget. He was a really nice man.”

To top the evening off they joined the singer for a rendition of his hit, Gangsta’s Paradise. A video of their meeting on YouTube has had nearly one million hits.

Coolio left in the early hours of the morning to avoid missing his second flight.

The friends have now renamed their home Gangsta’s Paradise in tribute to their special visitor. They hope to keep in touch with the star via Skype.

Miss Doherty is no stranger with mixing with celebrities as she and her friends say Mark Wright, from The Only Way is Essex, was in Preston the previous week and they are hoping to befriend Jazzy Jeff, an American musician, when he visits the city next week.

Coolio has received awards for his music including a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, Favourite Rap Artist and the American Music Awards and two MTV awards.