As a member of the now-defunct New Jill Swing
trio, SWV, Coko stood out as the commanding lead
vocalist behind several chart-topping hits, including
"Right Here," "I'm So Into You" and "Weak" from SWV's
double-platinum first album, It's About Time. Now,
with the release of her long-awaited solo debut,
HOT,COKO, the former choir girl sets out to establish
herself as one of contemporary music's leading female
vocalists and songwriters.
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Coko (né
Cheryl Gamble) grew up singing in church and
eventually would like to come back to gospel music
because that's her roots. "I was singing in Hezekiah
Walker's Love Fellowship choir when I decided to
leave and start singing secular music," explains the
25year-old songstress, who cites gospel singers
Twinkie Clark, Tramaine Hawkins and Men of Standard
as her biggest influences. That's when she teamed up
with childhood friends Lelee (Leanne Lyons) and Taj
(Tamara Johnson) and formed SWV-an acronym for
Sisters With Voices. The trio recorded a demo tape
and shopped it around to various record labels. The
tape soon caught the attention of producer Teddy
Riley, the originator of the ubiquitous early '90s
New Jack Swing sound who played an instrumental role
in launching the successful careers of acts like
Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. Riley helped SWV craft
their debut LP, It's About Time, which gave way to
two later releases 1996's New Beginning followed by
Release Some Tension in
1997.TRANSCRIPT
Steve White: [cut out some of his
babbling]. I WANT COKO....DAMN IT! I WANT
COKO....GIVE ME COKO! She said, we don't have
Coko...Well I said, COME TO THE WHEREHOUSE LOUNGE!
WE'VE GOT COKO!!!!!!!!!! Bam! Right there Coko. Album
in stores....at the Wherehouse Music......NOW! I I'm
hoping to get Coko in the Wherehouse... Hi, what's up
girlfriend?
Coko: {action}
saunters in and hugs Steve. HI!
Steve
White: You're a tall drink of water! You
tired?
Coko: Yup.
Steve White: This gonna be fun.
Coko: Okay.
Steve
White: You know why? 'Cause it's all love.
First of all, Coko, say hello to the world.
Coko: Alright. Hello world!
Steve White: So what's up
girlfriend?
Coko: workin' hard
on this album
Steve White: I
heard, you been up all day and all that.
Coko: Yup.
Steve
White: You got those sleepy, sexy eyes,
blinkin' all slow.
Coko:
(LOL)
Steve White: You want
something to eat?
Coko: No, I
just ate some Roscoe's.
Steve
White: What did you get?
Coko:
I just had some chicken wings and french
fries.
Steve White: Right on!
Did you get a Lisa's Delight?
Coko:
No.
Steve White:
Lemonade and Ice Tea? What about the sunrise?
Coko: No I don't like that.
Steve White: I love it! For those of
you all across the world, Roscoe's Chicken and
Waffles is an icon here in LA
Coko:
It's a Southern thing....
Steve
White: Is it? Really? You from the
South?
Coko: No, I'm from LA!
LOL
Steve White: We try to make
you as relaxed as possible....where you from in the
South?
Coko: Kingmansville, NC
actually.
Steve White: Is that
near Nashville?
Coko: It's a
small, small town.
Steve White:
How close to 95?
Coko: Full of
family. It's right there! {action} laughs
Steve White: You know, 95, goes
right now the South....you haven't been back in a
while have you Coko?
Coko: Nah,
I go back every year!
Steve White: Is there a
wireless mic on your left hip?
Coko:
You want it?
Steve
White: Okay, so apparently I have to do
this now...there's a man in my ear
Coko:
Okay, okay, okay. I can hear him.
Steve White: He tries to talk into
this and I'm trying to make you comfortable
now......Great....my parents are from South
Carolina.
Coko: Who?
Steve White: My mother. I have a
mother.
Coko: You do?
Steve White: Akin
Coko:
Oh, never heard of it.
Steve White: Oh, it's near
Augusta
Coko: Okay. {action}
giggles
Steve White: I don't
blow smoke up anybody's ass when they come
here....but the album's hot.
Coko:
Thank you!
Steve
White: And I'm not a R&B cat...I'd rather
listen to hard core rap and R&B's growing on me but I
put this on and I'm like, wait a second, this girl is
saying something and the voice is lovely.
Coko: Mmm, mmm.
Steve
White: I'm in the moment. I'm talking
about what's happening right here and now and we
could sell it right now!
Coko:
Thank you!
Steve White: Right
here on the internet. It came out August 10th.
Coko: Yeah, August 10th.
Steve White: I did my homework.
Coko: Mmm,hmm...
Steve
White: And my wife and I are asking who
that is singing on your album, is that Luther?
Coko: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah!
Steve White: No, it's Tyrese!
Coko: Yup.
Steve
White: He's been in the album. What's the
inspiration for the album?
Coko:
(LOL)
Steve White:
What was going through your mind?
Coko:
I just wanted to prove to the world I
could do this, there are a few haters.
Steve White: FEW?
Coko:
I just wanted to show everyone I could do
this, so it's personal. I did five songs
Steve White: Mmmmm. {action}
snaps
Coko: I picked producers,
I do my thing.
Steve White:
Doing your thing, thing. You even got freestyle going
there.
Coko: That's not me,
that's Eve from the Roughriders.
Steve
White: Eve, check in, we need to see
you!
Coko: Okay!
Steve White: I wonder if she cut her
nails?
Coko: {action} laughs.
Well, I had a baby...I had to get rid of my
nails.
Steve White: {action}
claps! You had Jazz.
Coko:
Yeah, Jazz.
Steve White: Jazz is
three now. Jazz is on the album.
Coko:
He'll be four in October.
Steve White: Did you pay
Jazz? 'Cause there's child labor laws.
Coko: Yeah!
Steve
White: How is single-momdom?
Coko: It's great!
Steve
White: She said it's GREAT! Yeah?
Coko: It's cool, yup and that's
it.
Steve White: You're just
going to leave that one right there!
Coko:
Yup, yup. {action} giggles
Steve White: See, it's
happening....the Wherehouse is loving it....it just
takes a few minutes before the love of the Wherehouse
permeates this room and next thing we know we're
singing and dancing.
Coko:
Anytime, look at you! I'm thinking about
Clockers!
Steve White: Mmm
Clockers with me taking a bullet in the mouth and all
that. In other words I deserve to die? It was a
movie!
Coko: You talked too
much in Clockers!
Steve White:
Are you trying to say I'm talking too much?
Coko: No, no! {action} laughs
Steve White: Eyebrows are
perfect!
Coko: Thank you!
Steve White: You're a very handsome
young lady....can you say handsome?
Coko:
Thank you!
Steve
White: Like those Bette Davis movies in
the 40s?
Coko: {action}
laughs
Steve White: She's like,
NO, I don't want to be called handsome...I want to be
called FINE!
Coko: {action}
keeps laughing
Steve White:
Who's that fellow?
Coko: That's
Boogie
Steve White: What's
Bookie do?
Coko: He dances with
me!
Steve White: {action}
laughs! And we're going to see those dances very soon
right here on the Wherehouse Lounge. So here's how it
goes, the whole world has access here and I read
questions from them.. because they want to see if the
Black guy can read.....and you answer them.
Coko: Mmm, mmm. Okay. Okay.
Steve White: {action} laughs!
WH Moderator: Question from
hotgyrl104: How did you know singing was your
destiny?
Coko: I've been
singing since I was 11 months old.
P>Steve
White: What? 11 months? Coko:
So, yeah!
Steve
White: Gooo gooo ga ga.....
Coko: Yup.
Steve
White: Is it obstacle or optical?
Coko: {action} laughs! In spite of
the obstacles.
Steve White: In
spite of the obstacle....EXACTLY! I love that
song.
Coko: Mmm hmmm....thank
you.
Steve White: I mean the
voice on that...trust me...if it was whack...I'd be,
nice album, good luck with the sales, you can pick it
up in stores.
Coko: {action}
cackles
Steve White: I'm
sitting there saying....THIS GIRL CAN SANG! You can
see the ex-boyfriends, you can see the pain
Coko: Trina's ex boyfriends!
Steve White: So you like used her
when she got dogged once and said, I can use that
'cause Trina can't sing!
Coko:
That's for my best friend too! That's why I did it,
yup.
Steve White: Just kidding
Trina, you're not sitting in the room though so I can
have fun.... Coko's here...album's
HOT though.....tell us about "Sunshine"!
Coko: I wrote that song about my son Jazz,
he makes me so happy. It's a
feel good track.
Steve White:
Right on. Is Jazz here?
Coko:
He's here.
Steve White: You
know you were a couple minutes late, just want to
make sure you're aware of that.
Coko:
I know....
Steve
White: 'Cause Warren G was a lot late and
I want to show you what he gave me!
Coko:
Mary wanna give you somethin'!
Steve White: But you weren't THAT
late so a little trinket, a Diablo or Bentley.
Coko: She'll get you the Bentley!
Hook him up Mary!
Other people have questions out there.
WH
Moderator: Question from
Coko_Online: Coko I love you! I'm the creator of
your first fansite called 'Coko Online"!
Coko: I love you too!
Steve White: Do you know the
creator of your first fan site, Coko
Online? I think I know who this is but I don't want
to say the wrong name.
Steve
White: Why don't we look at a couple
pictures here. She's like...you stupid!
Coko: {action} can't stop
laughing
Steve White: I'm not
stupid...I'm a college graduate! Damn! What's the
tattoo of? Is it a real one?
Coko:
it was real. It says Ms. Voice.
Steve White: Now tell me...the
Bronx?
Coko: The Bronx.
Steve White: Because, see, again
doing my homework. You're from the Bronx...concourse
or what?
Coko: Yeah.
Steve White: Is that the South
Bronx?
Coko: I'm from Forest
Avenue.
Steve White: The South
South Bronx?
Coko: Yeah. The
South Bronx.
Steve White: I'm
from New York too..
Coko:
Yeah.
Steve White: I'm from
Long Island!
Coko: Oh, wow!
That's a rough place!
Steve
White: Yeah, you know, all types of stuff
went down on the wiffle ball field. You know what I'm
saying?
Coko: Yeah, mmm, mmm.
Yeah, I know.
Steve White: You
know I had to cut the grass sometimes 'til 8:00 at
night!
Coko: {action} laughs
Steve White: You know what I'm
saying?
Coko: Okay, alright.
Okay.
Steve White: In Spite Of
The Obstacle...it's not about me....It's not about my
money
Coko: (LOL) Can't be!
Steve White: I'm going to ask you a
question now
Coko: Okay,
okay.
WH Moderator: Question
from LILRED: Are u going on tour...r u comin to
Houston????
Coko: Oh my God,
what's up Lil Red? Yeah? What did she say?
Steve White: Lil Red wants you to
give Steve a kiss right now........NO, she didn't say
that!
Coko: No she doesn't!
Steve White: You think I would take
advantage of my position as host of this show?
Coko: Okay!
Steve
White: She's in Houston, I guess.
Coko: /B> That's my girl. Oh yeah I'm
comin' I should be there sometime this month. She
writes me, I write her back.
Steve
White: Oh, do you have a website? Tell the
folks. You can link in and get hits.
Coko:
Oh yeah. I don't know the address.
Steve White: Mary! My God!
Coko: Mary! It is
www.peeps.com.
Steve White:
www.peeps.com
Coko: Yeah,
that's it. Yes.
Steve White:
Right on. Why don't we do this...I want to do some
"Sunshine." Do you have to bring in Boogie and
Everlast and Shabadoo and Turbulent?
Coko:
Yup. Yup it's Boogie, Randy, Eddie and
Sergio.
Steve White:
Roberto...what's up? You have a very aquiline jaw
line...anything happening on the model front?
Coko: OH, thank you. No, I'm too
thick!
Steve White: And I'm too
dark! Wait a second....I just saw Foxy Brown on the
Calvin Klein.
Coko: She's
smaller than I am.
Steve White:
She's petite but she's got girth. She is NOT too
thick.....let's crush those stereotypes...there's no
reason Coko can't get a million
dollar modeling contract. You put it out there and
it comes!
Coko: Mkay. Cool.
Steve White: Let' s get these guys
in here and do "Sunshine."
Coko:
Okay, come on boys!
Steve
White: Who was the first one to put the
laces up? Was it LL? Run DMC? I thought Boogie was
comin' in?
Coko: He'll be in,
in the next song. {action} adjusts her mic.
Steve White:
World.....Coko!
Coko:
{action} sings
Steve
White: Booya, Cabooya cabooya!
Coko: Booya cabooya cabooya!
Steve White: Get yourself a Corona
on me...have all the sushi you want back there in the
green room. That was great!
Coko:
{action} cackles!
Steve
White: The song was four minutes and 7
seconds long...you can buy that right now at
wherehousemusic.com! BAM just like that right to your
house.
Coko: Mmm, mmm.
Okay.
Steve White: Gospel music
a big influence?
Coko: Yeah, I
grew up singing solo in the Pentecostal church.
Steve White: Pentecostal
church?
Coko: Yeah, singing
solos at a young age.
Steve
White: Are you tired right now or is that
your normal blink? 'Cause that is sooo damn
sexxy!
Coko: {action}
laughs
Steve White: Man, you
don't know....sscchhhh ! Oh, man. Sometimes women
when you get up in the morning, I'm like wait,
they're like, I want to put on makeup, but I say use
that!
Coko: Oh, okay!
Steve White:
What's your favorite gospel song?
Coko:
I have a lot!
Steve White:
And it goes a little something like....?
Coko: It's a
song called I Won't Complain. I like Twinkie
Clark,
Steve
White: Twinkie Clark?
Coko:
Cameron Clark's
older sister.
Steve
White: Devil Dog? Funny Bone? Drakes
products
Coko:
{action} laughs. Yup.
Steve White: Gospel rap
is killing me though....can't get into that.... I
love Kirk Franklin....gotta get him in the Lounge
here! I always have to say this....right here live
in the Lounge...no synthesizers...no doctoring the
voice!
Coko:
Nooooo.
Steve White: Right from
the kishkas.
Coko:
Mmm hmmm....
Steve White: I was
hoping
you'd sing a song for me.....sing happy birthday to
me...my birthday's coming up 9/23rd I'm a Libra!
Black man in his 30's I made it!
Coko:
Oh....
Steve White:
Ha!
Coko:
{action} laughs
WH
Moderator: Question from basil: Coko were
you in the Sparkle Video for "Move On"...I got a bet
on YOU
Coko:
No, that wasn't me.
Steve White:
It wasn't
her, okay, the bottom line, it wasn't her!
Coko:
Wasn't.
Steve
White: That was Iman or somebody. You get
address that if you want...I don't want to NOT say it
because it is...look.... BAM!
Coko:
No....
Steve White:
Right here on the IBM Thinkpad....here...you could
just say technical difficulties.
Coko:
Okay, oh,
no....
WH
Moderator: Question from guest62: Why did
SWV split up?
Coko: We weren't
getting
along anymore it was uncomfortable, I decided to
leave.
Steve
White: And it's going great. You know why
it's going great? POW! Right there. Wherehousemusic.
It's great. Any particular boyfriend in mind when you
were singing "I Ain't Feelin' You."
Ex-boyfriend?
Coko:
Hmmm mmm. Hm...
Steve White: Do
you find
men to be dogs or?
Coko: {action}
laughs
Steve White:
All of 'em?
Coko:
Most of em.
Steve White: You with
the
slow blink...come on....sexy! Are you actively
searching to have the void filled?
Coko:
(LOL). Yeah,
that's it.
Steve
White: Really?
Coko: Yeah!
Steve White:
IF this world were mine....let's sing that song again
and I'll sing the Tyrese part....
Coko:
Oh, do it!
Okay!
Steve
White: I had this in the car and I'm
loving it and my wife starts singing and crucifying
it! She's right there and I don't care if we don't
have sex for a week, but she can't sing.
Coko:
{action} laughs
Steve
White: I can't sing, but she was just
crucifying the lyrics. and I'm sorry honey but I had
to do this, I just reached over and covered her
mouth.
Coko:
Oh...no!
Steve White: And she's
beautiful, she's fine, she can cook her ass
off....can't sing! It's for real! More
questions.
WH
Moderator: Question from ArtG: How long
did it take to complete this last album ?
Coko: It took
me about 6 months to complete the whole album
Steve White:
Mm hmmm.
Coko:
and on and off process, some in NY,, some
in LA
Steve
White: In the Bronx? At D&D Studios?
Coko: No, in
Manhattan.
Steve White:
You see, I keep it real......they didn't just hire
some schmot off the street....New York is lookin'
clean now....Mayor Giuliani is keeping it clean.
Coko:
{action} laughs and says "yeah, yeah. That's clean
now."
Steve
White: Favorite part of the country now
to tour and sing...I'm asking you now
Coko:
New York? I like
Hawaii! I filmed my video in Hawaii.
Steve
White: We watched
it this morning on BET....free cable hook-
