During the nearly three years of isolation, laughter helped the world navigate the pandemic. It kept peopleās sanity intact. As growing evidence on solitary confinement teaches us, humans cannot survive without social connections. We turned to artists, filmmakers, writers, singers, and comedians for survival.
Hailed by Detroiters as the first lady of comedy, we couldnāt pass up on an interview with the hilariously quick-witted COCO.
BLAC: How are you doing?
Iām doing well. It has been a serious reset for me to do things differently. Like the doing things virtually, thatās a transition. The world is kind of opening back up, but work is different.
Getting dressed: now, I need a mask to match my outfit. Hand sanitizer, and antibacterial wipes. Then, I need another mask. Iād take some mint.
Itās just a lot of stuff.
BLAC: Growing up, did you always know that you were funny?
I knew I was different. Older people would always say that I had a gifted gab. I really didnāt know what that meant. But, I found myself engaging older people in conversations.
A lot of younger people were told to go in the other room, but the grownups would tell me to come in. Iād reach up there and get that. That kind of responsibility. As a kid I got the chance to hear a lot of stuff I probably shouldnāt have been hearing at that age.
That let me to getting bullied a lot.
Dealing with a bully, I think, āI fought āem on Friday. But, what am I gonna do on Monday?ā ācause they still may come back. You had to be quick. Iām gonna talk about their momma, and about a fact I heard from grownups. The bully kinda pull back. That was my weapon.
BLAC: Do you consider Detroit your home?
I was born in Highland Park. Thatās where I grew up. Thatās my claim in fame: Highland Park.
But, I claim Detroit as my home.
BLAC: Looking back through your career, do you have any fond memories you that stand out?
Oh gosh. So many memories during radio and being a comedian in Detroit. When I did Def Jam and Comic View, people would say, āOh, man. I saw you on TV. You were amazing!ā Or, they would go, āI heard you on the radio.ā
It means a lot. You feel appreciated. You feel love. You feel a sense of respect.
Sometimes, Iām in the grocery store. People would come up and be like, āYeah, I heard what you said on the radio today. I donāt appreciate that.ā Iām like, āWhat did I say?ā And, they could quote me verbatim. So now, I got to explain to them what went on.
I appreciate those. And, it didnāt stop even when the pandemic hit.
BLAC: They recognize you through the mask, didnāt they?
Oh my goodness. Theyāll look at me and theyāll look at the hair. āCOCO! Donāt be playing with me. I know its you.ā
I had those memories and I play those in my head over and over.
Meeting amazing people becomes the catalyst to just say, āOK, Iām gonna do this one more day.ā
BLAC: You have travelled at lot as a comedian. Youāve been to different places. For you, what makes Detroit uniquely Detroit?
Everybody here is a celebrity. Everybody in Detroit got a few stories. Like, how they uncleās cousinās best friend was almost one of the Temptations, but, when they had the meeting in the basement, their uncle had to go to work.
Or, how their auntieās nieceā cousinās grandmother on their fatherās side used to do hair for Diana Ross and the Supremes.
Or, how their grandfather was the first Black man to work at this plant.
Detroit is so self-contained. We have an automotive industry. We got the entertainment venues. We got all the stuff, and everybody who wasnāt from here moved here to be part of whatās going on.
Another interesting part is we are literally 10 minutes away from another country. When I ask people, āHave you ever been to Canada?ā Theyāve never been.
Another part is we have a whole automotive industry, but thereās a lot of people who got suspended driverās licenses.
BLAC: If you could live in anywhere in the world, where would you be?
I would live here in the summer, and maybe somewhere south during the winter at some small, off-the-road, off-the-beaten-path city in the south. I would be in one of those model home that they connect, and I would be growing some vegetables in the yard. Iād have a rabbit, a goat, and a yorkie.
You know, somewhere I can just breathe. And, maybe go to Walmart, Piggly Wiggly, Winn-Dixie, or Food Lion for couple times a month. I would have a freezer full of vegetables. And, Iād just sit on my porch, watching the sun up and sun down.
BLAC: And, say no when someone offers you some chitlins?
Oh, baby. Growing up, I have three passes when it came to food: chitlins, pig feet, and Iām extremely allergic to iodine and shellfish.
But, baby, listen to me. If somebody gimme some chitlins, I might bite them, or fight them. Itās not going down.
I donāt understand how theyāre supposed to taste. I always ask my family, āWhat is this supposed to taste like? āCause they look like boy rubber bands to me.ā
And, they tell you, āYou gotta have some coleslaw, some hot sauce.ā
Iād say, āThatās not even a good color combination.ā
And, the preparation to clean it.
I would watch my mother bring four or five buckets in Saturday six oāclock, and by Saturday evening the house smells like, oh my goodness. Itās would be 16 degrees outside, and Iām wrapped up, sitting on the porch ācause that smell is taking me down.
BLAC: Thank you for that sidebar. Is there a moment you look back on and say, āI would do that differently.ā?
Back then, comedians took a mass exodus and they moved to California. They either wen to L.A. or New York. I was kind of hesitant to make that move. Iām like, āI donāt wanna do the move, yet.ā So, in my mind, listening to these voices saying, āOh, you missed your opportunity.ā
I did miss my opportunity because being here gave me the responsibility of taking care of my mother. I was here and be a hands-on grandmother.
I stayed here emotionally because I knew what my responsibilities were. And every now and then, Iām like āI should have went to L.A.ā
But, I also believe that, whateverās for me, I will get it.
BLAC: Is there someone, during your career, that youāve interviewed that stuck with you?
Itās been quite a few people: Dick Gregory, Rick James, Carrie Washington, and other amazing women.
After Rick James came outta jail, it was his whole āIām gonna get back out here and do my thing. I havenāt lost it. Iāve been working. Iāve been writing.ā He was ready to go, go, go and do, do, do. He was transparent in his interview.
Dick Gregory was like an oracle. He was sharing all jewels and information: his social consciousness; his perspective; his view on life, body, people, and relationships.
BLAC: What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be regular. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to not be so different as I was. But, I knew that wasnāt who I were gonna be.
I became a nurse for about 13 or 14 year. And in 2000, I let my license expire.
When jumped into entertainment, I wanted to be a singer with a band in a hall. Singing, and jazz hands.
But when I really got into it, I realized I had a sense of humor. I had this gift the elders had told me. So, I got into it as a comedian.
And, hereās the crazy part. It requires so much, but a singer can go on stage, and say, āHey, Detroit. Iām having a bad day. Iāve been travelling all over the world. My voice kinda raspy.ā And the people would be, āYeah, COCO, we gonna sing with you.ā They will sing every song with you. And when they leave, āOooh, that was the best concert ever. Girl COCO was sick, but that was worth the 250 dollars, am I right?ā
As a comedian, I canāt go on stage and say, āHey, yāall. Iāve been travelling all over the world. My voice is messed up. Yāall gonna help me?ā
People would yell, āHell no. You better be funny.ā And, theyād think, āShe better have some new jokes. ācause Iāve seen her 20 times, and she better have some new jokes.ā
BLAC: What advice would you give to someone whoās just getting in the business today?
Be authentic. Be yourself. Do you. Your life is relatable no matter how we grew up or where we grew up. Thereās something in our life that crosses all the lines that an audience can relate to.
Be able to work with different audiences. Donāt say you can only perform in front of a Black audience, older audience, or a younger audience. Be able to perform in front of all audiences. Be able to do corporate events, community event.
Learn your craft. Study what youāre doing and analyze yourself. If you had a great show, dissect what you did. āCause your only as great as your last show.
Donāt think that you need to be high or drunk to perform. Donāt have crutch. Thatās gonna become a problem.
And, donāt listen to voices from behind you. Theyāre behind you for a reason.
BLAC: What would you like your legacy to be?
That she was honest, and pure. She was fragile, but she was tough. She pulled no punches. She didnāt play no games.
From six oāclock in the morning to six oāclock in the evening, she was the same person. She was approachable.
That, I was the same person with a strong spiritual foundation. Thatās the number one thing. My faith is really important to me.
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