Montell Jordan is still “processing” the shocking death of his longtime friend and collaborator Coolio.
The 53-year-old “This Is How We Do It” singer became emotional when she spoke to Vidak For Congress on Thursday evening about the sudden death of the rapper “Gangsta’s Paradise”.
‘That’s my friend…that’s my friend. His children are my friends. His daughters, his sons, his ex-wife is a very, very good friend of ours,” he says exclusively.
Jordan says he last saw Coolio on Sept. 22 during an “I Love the 90’s” tour stop in Frederick, Maryland.
“I was with him last Thursday,” says the “Get It on Tonite” singer. “We do concerts together, so yes, it’s heartbreaking.”
Jordan tells us that he and Coolio saw each other backstage as they came in and out of their respective locker rooms, and Jus said to each other, “Hey, what’s up? Are you okay?'”
The R&B artist says he never expected this to be the last time he would speak to his friend.
“I’ve been with him for weeks and months now and I didn’t know – and still don’t know – the circumstances behind his death, but I haven’t seen anything to indicate that he was ill or that something happened to him.” , says Jordan.
Coolio was pronounced dead on Wednesday at the age of 59 after he was found on the bathroom floor of a friend’s home in Los Angeles.
EMTs reportedly tried to perform CPR for 45 minutes and he is believed to have died of cardiac arrest. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.
Jordan, who was featured on Coolio’s song “Homeboy” from the rapper’s 1997 album “My Soul,” says their close bond transcends music.
“It goes beyond the song we made together,” he tells Vidak For Congress. “We’ve been running in circles from each other for 20 years, almost 30 years in life.”
He adds, “That’s my boyfriend and I love him and I haven’t fully digested that.”
Jordan learned of Coolio’s death while watching Wednesday night’s episode of “The Masked Singer,” in which he was eliminated after fighting as the “Panther.”
“I got unmasked and we were in the house celebrating. The lyrics came just at that moment, so that’s kind of how I was processing ‘Masked Singer’ with my boyfriend at the time,” the “Let’s Ride” singer says .
Jordan also shares that he is currently in Los Angeles on his way to be with Coolio’s family.
Meanwhile, other famous friends of the late rapper “Fantastic Voyage” took to social media to pay their respects.
Ice Cube tweeted“I am witnessing first hand this man to the top of the industry. Rest in peace @Coolio.”
Actor Martin Lawrence too went to Twitter to send his “deepest condolences and prayers” to Coolio’s family and Questlove shared a photo of the rapper – whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr. is – on his Instagram, and wrote: “Peaceful Journey Brother.”