Today’s 'Futurama’ Episode Is Dedicated to Coolio and Kwanzaa-Bot

All I want for Kwanzaa is Coolio.

This morning, Hulu dropped the latest episode in the Futurama revival season, a festive affair titled, “I Know What You Did Next XMas.” Longtime Futurama fans know well that a holiday episode all but guarantees appearances from three of the best and brightest side characters — Robot Santa Clause, Chanukah Zombie, and Kwanzaa-Bot — and today’s episode did not disappoint. “I Know What You Did Next XMAS” brought back Professor Farnsworth’s time machine, was heavy on the Zoidberg, and, most importantly, was bookended by rhythmic narration from the lattermost of the holiday trio, marking the final appearance of the late rapper Coolio in not just Futurama, but all television.

Rest in peace, Coolio. One day we’ll finally figure out “What the Hell is Kwanzaa.”

Coolio first joined the Futurama cast in the Season Three episode “A Tale of Two Santas,” flashing the iconic children’s book with which the character of Kwanzaa-Bot would always be associated. Kwanzaa-Bot’s mission is to explain to the world’s children what the widely known and little-understood holiday actually represents, and, in “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular” in Season Six, he finally gets that opportunity as he assists the Conrads in their Kwanzaa celebration.

Then, finally, Coolio closed out today’s episode with a rap cover of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” that included a reference to the single saddest episode in Futurama history (“Jurassic Bark”) before ending the verse with “...and a voice-over credit for me!”