Coko Talks Lost Music And Recording Her Next Album With Elev8 Magazine

If you missed the first part of the interview, "Coko Explains Why Fame And BlackBerrys Are Both Bad News," you can catch up on it here.

Our chat continues below. Check out what she has to say about the entire album she lost when her record label closed down before it could ever be released to the public.

ELEV8: I have to ask you about my favorite song on the new album. What was it like recording "Rescue Me"?

Coko: "Rescue Me." That song? It was great recording that song. It was funny. [When] I heard that song, I was standing outside a studio. Dave Caton played it and I went in there like, "please tell me that's for me." He was like, "Yeah! You can have it! Yeah!" I love that song as well. That's a great song.

ELEV8: Most artists always record more songs than actually make the album. What songs or collaborations were supposed to be on The Winner In Me that just didn't make it in time?

Coko: Oh, we didn't do that this time. It wasn't up to me. The label wanted me to record enough songs for the record. And that's what we did. It just so happened that songs that we did record [were] really great songs. So we didn't have any leftovers.

ELEV8: Speaking of sophomore albums, in your last ELEV8 interview with Sheeri Mitchell, she said that RCA Black Music closed down just as your sophomore album was about to come out. There's a sophomore album we didn't know about?

Coko: Yeah! There's a whole record! It was titled Music Doll that was comin' out. Yes! And I have it!

ELEV8: Is there any chance that we'll ever be able to buy it on iTunes?

Coko: Probably not.

ELEV8: Oh you're kidding me. You gotta be kiddin' me.

Coko: And I had a nice duet on there with Dave Hollister. It was hot. It was gonna be a really great record. But they closed and I didn't want them to place me just anywhere, so I asked for a release.

ELEV8: So I'm listening to The Winner in Me right now, but what are you listening to on repeat these days?

Coko: I'm old school, so I'm listening to 80's music, but one gospel song that I really like right now that I had to stop playing is Vanessa Bell's new song "Good News." Ohhhh I LOVE that song! And Sheri Moffett-Jones' album is beautiful. Both stay on repeat in my car.

ELEV8: I be wearin' songs out too. Makin' the people around me mad playing "Rescue Me" over and over again.

ELEV8: By the way. I know you're a fan. What was your favorite Clark Sisters album?

Coko: Oooooh. I was young, so I don't remember the name of the album, but my favorite cut was "Endow Me" and I've always wanted to remake that song. I just needed the right people at the right time. And the timing was great for that.

ELEV8: As a gospel artist coming in the door with an army of people who already love your voice, has it still been hard to get audiences to fully embrace you?

Coko: I mean, it's like some people do and some people don't, but if I sit there and I worry about everybody that doesn't wanna embrace me, I'll go crazy. And I don't have time for that. Either you like me or you don't and that's where it is!

ELEV8: Can't disagree with that. The flipside though is I saw when you did the Sheryl Lee Ralph benefit Divas Simply Singing. And you smashed the medley of hymns. I'm like, "this girl's performance is flawless!"

Coko: Awww!

ELEV8: But the audience was acting like they didn't want to acknowledge it. I think it's because you were singing gospel. [Secular artists on the bill got a much different response.] So how do you reach out to people that don't like gospel, don't like God, or only want to hear you sing R&B and can't get used to anything else?

Coko: Well I think I did pretty good at Sheryl Lee's thing, 'cause when I finished, they were on their feet!