Last August, the United States wasn’t the only nation mourning the loss of Isaac Hayes. The African nation of Ghana, for instance, not only lost a great entertainer but their King. Yes, the man who played "Chef" on South Park and made famous the theme song from Shaft told me he was an honorary King of Ghana last summer. I interviewed Hayes just a month or so before his death after watching him perform at a free Prospect Park concert series in Brooklyn, but held off publishing it until today. After all, what better time than Passover to remember Black Moses?
Your career has spanned more than three decades. Has your message to the ladies changed at all during that time?
I don’t have to change anything for them.
Is it hard to maintain a legendary status? Do you ever feel pressure not to disappoint the ladies?
All I can do is do my thing and then let them catch up to me. Sing my songs and do my thing. I think my thing is coming back around. Yeah, I think it’s coming back around.
Is there an Isaac Hayes of today?
I don’t know who can hang like that today. No. I guess I’m the only one.
Did you and fellow deep voiced singer Barry White ever have deep voice beef?
No we sang together, we didn’t need to compete with each other.
Would you ever consider U.S. politics? Obama needs a VP.
Oh, no. Me? I’m an artist. I don’t pay attention to all that stuff. It’s a distraction.
Is it a big responsibility being the King of Ghana?
Yeah. It’s a big responsibility.
What issues are you working on?
It’s just like over here: poverty, disease, all that stuff.
Are Ghanaians big fans of your music?
Oh, yes! They really like "Save a Million Lives."
What do they call you?
They call me King. Well, they call me Nana Katiyah Hayes the Third.
How did you get this title?
Well, I went over there about three times, and they saw me as a good man. Then they gave me an island.
An island in Ghana?
Yes, an island.
How long do you retain your title of King?
For life. Forever.
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