Not many rappers have successfully made the jump from rapper to actor, and still maintain their status as a legitimate musician, better than Coolio. In his first interview with the State Hornet, Artis Ivey (Coolio) talked about this transition, his hair, Celebrity Boot Camp and more.

Hilton Collins: All the songs on the album are pretty good and I was curious, on an album, how do you select which song becomes a single?

Coolio: Man, that’s a hard decision. You know usually, for most people, it’s pretty easy because they have a couple of really stand out songs, but I got ten of them. So it all depends. Just pick one. Just look at the time and listen to what’s playing on the radio and what people are listening to and then, try to pick something that’s not explicit. That’s how we ended up with picking “Show Me Love.”

HC: Now your new album, El Cool Magnifico, when does that come out?

C: October 15th.

HC: How’d you come up with the name El Cool Magnifico?

C: Actually I kind of came up with it while I was doing a TV show. It just kinda popped into my head.

HC: What do you think sets you a part from other rappers?

C: The fact that I use all aspects of my personality and all of my emotions when I think about writing songs. I look at songs from a world point of view versus a regional or a city point of view.

HC: Now I was reading some things about you and it said with your moniker El Cool Magnifico that you might say things you wouldn’t normally say as Coolio.

C: That’s right.

HC: Have you ever been scared about things you might say on your songs like, “What would my mother think?” Or “What would my kids think?”

C: Uh-uh. Not my mother. My mother was pretty vocal. (Laughs) She was forward, man. She would really appreciate a lot of the stuff in my songs.

HC: So what are we going to hear from you new album that we haven’t heard before? What’s going to be new or different about it? How will it differ from previous Coolio albums?

C: Well my sound is different. Different production. My voice tones are different. I’ve got some different styles. Doing some styles you’ve never heard me do before. You know, everything about it is different because I’m a different person now than I was on the last album.

HC: Who are some of your influences, musical or otherwise?

C: The same ones. (Laughs) The old stuff, man. You could just about name anything. I grew up on everything. I mean I listened to everything from underground jazz to mainstream rock n’ roll. I listened to everything growing up.

HC: Are there any other artists around currently that you admire or that you respect?

C: Yeah, I like Busta. I like the new stuff. I like Xzibit’s new stuff. I like Ludacris and Outkast, too.

HC: This new album you have, was it more difficult for you to make than any previous albums you’ve made?

C: Yea, but then again, not. It was easier to write the songs. The process of putting everything together was probably the most difficult.

HC: Aside from your music, you also do a lot of other different things. People can see you on TV. They can see you on movies. You have a role in the upcoming movie “Daredevil.” Is being in a movie more difficult than being in a video? Are there any differences between the two?

C: Not a whole lot. You probably play a lot more doing a video. It’s a lot more fun doing a video because it’s a lot looser.

HC: This Monday I saw you on Celebrity Boot Camp. What was it like being on something like that?

C: It was very, very difficult. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, it was a 10.

HC: So what motivated you to go on a show like that?

C: I don’t even know, man. I got tricked into it, to be honest with you. I really did. I got tricked into that, because I had no idea that I was going to be doing that kind of stuff.

HC: How did you get tricked? Who tricked you?

C: Man, I just thought it was going to be some little bullshit, you know what I mean? Actually, I didn’t plan on staying. I was going to quit, but then this cat that was on the show pissed me off, man. That’s why I stayed.

HC: Who was that?

C: Lorenzo Lamas. I did not want him to win. That’s why I stayed. He would have won. He would have won if I didn’t stay. It would have been him against Traci Bingham.

HC: So who eventually won? Was it you?

C: Yeah. Of course.

HC: I know you’re a pretty tough guy. You used to be a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry. Was that more difficult than Boot Camp?

C: No, Boot Camp was more difficult. Being a firefighter is a hard day, but you do get rests. You get a time to rest. We didn’t get a chance to rest on Boot Camp. There wasn’t really any sleep time. Fighting fires is hard, though. Now I’d have to say boot camp for a Marine in real life is going to be harder than fighting a fire. I’d have to say that. At least in fire camp you’ve got people yelling at you, but they’re not hollering at you. They’re not spitting on you.

HC: Did you give the grand prize money to a charity, or keep it, or what?

C: Charity.

HC: Which one?

C: Heritage.

HC: What made you pick that one?

C: It’s the same one I’ve been working with the whole time. I know the people.

HC: On your spare time, what do you like to do when you’re not making music?

C: Everything, man. Play video games. Me and my youngest son have just recently taken up bowling.

HC: I’ve heard that the music business can be a pretty cutthroat, difficult business.

C: It’s hella cutthroat. It’s gangsta.

HC: What advice would you give anyone what wants to pursue a career in that business?

C: I wouldn’t advise anybody to get in this business. I’d say, go to school. Try to own a business like this. Not trying to be an artist.

HC: Try to be someone behind the scenes?

C: Unless you’re hella talented. And if you’re hella talented, then get the greatest deal in the world. Get a deal like Robbie Williams over UK. He just bagged $125 million from EMI.

HC: Well, you’re right behind him.

C: Man, they’ll never give me $125 million dollars. Please.

HC: What do you want to accomplish most in life? What’s your ultimate goal?

C: My ultimate goal? I guess I already did it. Wanted to go platinum, and I did. My ultimate goal is to see one of my grandchildren play in the NBA. (Laughs) That’s my dream.

HC: If you had never gone in the music business and the entertainment industry, where do you think you’d be right now?

C: Oh, man, there’s no telling. Who knows? Jail. Hell, probably on the streets hustlin’ somewhere. Or maybe, I’d just have a family. Anything could have happened. I can’t really say.

HC: How many kids do you have?

C: I have six children.

HC: What do you want them to do when they grow up?

C: Whatever they want.

HC: So, I guess you wouldn’t want them to be in the music business.

C: Not really. I’d rather for them to be in movies, man. That way, they know they’re gonna get their money.

HC: So it’s hard for artists to get their money?

C: You gotta go take your money in this business. You gotta scrap and fight for it because those muthafuckas act like they don’t want to pay you. I mean that with serious intent.

HC: What’s it like when you’re touring and you’re up on stage in front of the crowd? What does that feel like?

C: It’s all energy. It’s just like, a burst of energy. It’s hard to explain. It’s like a drug.

HC: So you can get addicted to it?

C: Yeah, I think so. And I think people do. I think some people do. I think sometimes, that’s why so many people once they’re out of the limelight, they kind of go crazy or they get on drugs or some sh*t like that. It happens so frequently because they need some type of rush and they miss it. They don’t have it anymore and they have to replace it with something.

HC: Do you ever worry about something like that happening to you?

C: No, because I live a normal life. I don’t have bodyguards. People are always going to know me. People are always going to say, “Hey, what’s up, Coolio,” because I walk down the street. I know a bunch of regular people. I’m not all isolated in the head and I don’t have a problem with people not knowing me, either. I don’t care. It’s all the same to me. I was cool as hell before I became famous. I was Coolio before that. I had good cool friends before I became Coolio. I met nice girls before I became Coolio.

HC: What does that feel like, when people stop you from across the street?

C: It feels good, the acknowledgement. “Yeah, I love your stuff,” or “Hey, you were great on Fear Factor,” “Hey, I loved you on Politically Incorrect,” or “Woo woo woo,” you know, whatever. That’s a good thing, man. It’s positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement to your mind to let you know you still got it. You still got it, dawg.

HC: What inspired your unique signature hairstyle?

C: Well, you know what? I used to braid my hair regular. Down like everybody else’s. And then, after three or four days, it started sticking up. And it used to irk me. So one day after about six months of that my hair started to get longer, and it started to stick up by itself. So I said, “Okay, if it wants to stick up I’ll just braid it up.”

HC: You have something unique that sets you apart. It’s something that’s so natural. It’s your hair.

C: Yeah, but look. What happens when I cut my hair? ‘Cause I might cut my hair, for real. I might cut my hair because there’s a lot of roles in movies and stuff that I could get if I cut my hair. I’ll still have my music without my hair. I’ll still be able to rap or whatever. But will people still want me? Will it still be the same appeal without the hair? We’ll find out. We’re going to call it The Coolio Experiment.

HC: So, which album will that be?

C: It may possibly be the next album. (Laughs)

HC: Do you have any parting words for all of the students here at Sac State?

C: Tell them, it’s okay to be yourself. Relax, don’t complain, don’t explain, don’t restrain or refrain, just retain. You know what I’m sayin’?