Coolio Interview

INTERVIEW WITH COOLIO FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES
DM) How did the troops react when they saw you on the last tour?

C) They went crazy. Most people don't get to see someone they consider a celebrity on a regular day, but to be in another country where they could just walk up to me... I'd just walk around the base, go to the store, just kick it...

DM) Was this trip directly because of the events of September 11th?

C) No, I had it planned for a while already, way before that happened. When that happened it made it more important, but we weren't at war when it started. In Korea, they were on really high alert when I got there. At least it gave them a bit of a lift in their spirits.

DM) Just recently, in regards to September 11th, I read an article that said nobody would be able to write any more Gangster Rap songs as it felt that the environment wasn't appropriate any more.

C) I don't know if I'd agree with that. I hope people don't think because September 11th happened that there are no crooked people. No crooked politicians or soldiers or whatever. Just because we're at war firemen and policemen are being RECONSIDERED heroes although they got a bad rap all of these years. People are so gullible, out there like sheep. If a bunch of people started jumping off a cliff people would start jumping off the cliff without even looking over the edge, like Lemmings.

It's a scary time and I think Americans should be scared because of September 11th that people who normally couldn't operate above the law will be allowed to do things above the law and beneath the law as well. And these are people that we trust.

True patriotism is believing in the laws and beliefs of the constitution of America. And any time you do something against the constitution and you do something as an American that's not according to the laws of the constitution or the Bill of Rights then you're unpatriotic. Anybody who says anything about anybody's freedom is saying something unpatriotic because that's freedom of speech they're fighting. That's one of your rights under our constitution and that makes you a patriot because you believe in the rights of all people and people being free. That's what America is all about. As soon as you start taking away any of those rights and you start speaking out against people having those rights, no matter what the reason, then you're not really a true patriot.

DM) Who in your eyes represents a true patriot?

C) JFK, John F. Kennedy was a true patriot. Because he didn't believe in telling lies to the American people. I'm sure he had to sometimes but for the most part he tried to be as truthful as possible... and I think that's one of the reasons he was assassinated... because he was too damn truthful.

DM) If the media has reached the other extreme where they are acting very supportive of our leaders and in the past they were very critical, where is the balance, where is reality?

C) I'll tell you where reality is, the reality is that everybody should be scrutinized because people by nature are evil.

DM) Do you believe that statement?

C) Yes, I totally believe that. The nature of a human being is evil. Look at what's going on in the world right now. Are you saying that the nature of the basic human being is good?

DM) I think that it's a mix, and there are good and bad people in the world.

C) There are some people, but for the most part, most people aren't good man. Most people will stab you in the back over money; they'll kill you over money. They'll kill over love. People are selfish man. People will kill over things; people will do bad things to get the things they want. Look how easy it is to start a mob. You have to look at that. You have to look at real things.

DM) But that to me sounds like it relates to trust. You need to trust that your family and friends won't hurt you.

C) All you have to do is the wrong thing and your family and friends will turn against you. Take for instance, me... I have six children; three of them are girls that are all under 18. I'm a nice guy, I'm a good guy who will never think of looking at a girl or touching a girl but let somebody accuse me of it falsely, I mean just some straight bulls____, somebody that thinks, "I don't like Coolio", somebody that I don't want to do business with, somebody who wants to screw my life up. Then they go and file a false claim that I've done something, I could get to court and prove it undeniably but all you have to do is say I did it, once it's on the news, that's the end of me. That's it. Look at Mike Tyson, he was convicted, but I mean people have been falsely accused of sh&% and there career is still over. Look at Michael Jackson, but he couldn't do anything for a long time and people are still calling him Wacko Jacko and all of that sh__.

DM) Why do you think people act like that?

C) Because the basic human being wants to be led. People don't want to think for themselves. It's too hard. It's easier to let somebody think for you and just follow. That's so simple, it takes no effort. Think about that you don't have to use you brain or do nothing. "Oh, if the Johnson's are doing that I'm doing that too". Most people do that without doing research, without even checking out what they're getting into.

DM) That seems like it puts you in a dangerous position because if you say something in a song or a media event your fans might jump on that.

C) Well, that's why before I say something I try to think about what I say before I say it. If there's a subject that I don't know about, I'm quiet.

DM) Have you ever said something that you regretted?

C) I still do. I said some sh&% today that I already regretted. A couple of times today. And yesterday as well! (Laughs)

DM) What do you do when you make a mistake like that?

C) I apologize. If I say something that I believe in and people don't like it, I'm not going to apologize because I'm entitled to have an opinion too. That's why I created an alter ego now. Because Coolio's perceived as being so cool, there's some things Coolio can't do. Because when I want to do something that's not politically correct, I'm not Coolio, I'm "El Cool Magnifico". But I'll apologize for him.

DM) Who more represents you?

C) Me, Coolio, but at certain times it's not cool to be Coolio, because Coolio always has to be cool and be in control of the situation. El Cool Magnifico can get drunk and piss on himself at a party. (Laughs) Just a for instance.

DM) Some people when they make a mistake live in regret for days.

C) Naw, you can't be devastated by a mistake. That's life, we're human. We're not gods, we're all short of the glory of god. Nobody can be perfect.

DM) It's interesting that you say, "Glory of God." I heard that you're a spiritual man too.

C) Yeah, but I don't follow an organized religion or denomination. It's not anything like that. I believe that there is one God and I believe people are accountable for what they do, good and bad.

DM) How does your spirituality affect your every day life?

C) I try, but I'm human and the nature of the basic human being is evil. I'm no different. I just work at it a little harder than others maybe. But then I have my days where I'm completely basic. We've all been programmed to believe and do things as a mass population. In order to control this many people, you can't have a bunch of free thinkers. Why do you think most countries suppress freethinking and keep themselves in power. If you run a government, you don't want too many people to think freely, you need some, but you don't' want everybody to be free thinkers, it would cause too many problems. It's easier to herd everybody like sheep and get them to do what you want them to do.

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on your website.

Learn more about debugging in WordPress.