Coolio Says Reality Show Has Been an Eye-Opening Experience

Calling his son Artis, 18, a "chip off the old block," Coolio says that he is coming to terms with the fact that his son is pursuing a career path that mirrors his own. "I would prefer him to be a Harvard graduate and go on to win a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t think that is going to happen," the 45-year-old rapper tells the New York Daily News. Since his family — which includes Artis’ siblings Artisha, 20, Brandi, 19, and Jackie, 15 — signed on to appear in the new reality tv show Coolio’s Rules, Coolio says he’s learned quite a bit about his kids.

"I did not know that my youngest daughter was so camera-shy and I did not know she was thinking about dating boys. And I did not know that my oldest daughter had had a drink of alcohol before. That’s a lot to deal with. I try not to judge my kids too harshly, but I’m still their daddy. I feel it hard."

Coolio says that there wasn’t much convincing that needed to be done when he was first approached about the show. "I came home and said, ‘Listen, people are talking to me about doing a reality show with you guys. Do you want to do it?’" Coolio explained. "They were like, ‘Shaka Zulu, Daddy! Let’s do it!’" Now that the cameras have become a fixture in their home Coolio says that what viewers are seeing is real — both the good, and the bad.

"Me and my kids have our ups and downs, but ultimately we love each other. We can be dysfunctional, but we’re nowhere near as dysfunctional as some other people."

Brandi, Jackie, and Artis are Coolio’s children with ex-wife Josefa Salinas, while Artisha is from a previous relationship. Coolio’s Rules airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on the Oxygen network.

Source: New York Daily News