Interview with Erik Schrody, aka Everlast

by AbdulKadir Toraman on March 17, 2001 (translated by Allison Bramblett from the German original (link fixed 20 August, 2005) and edited by Dr. Alan Godlas)

Interviewer -Assalamu aleikum Eric, in the name of the Association for New German Muslims (Osmanische Herberge) and allbrothers and sisters, we welcome you to Germany. First of all, thank you very much for the invitation to the discussion and the opportunity to be able to experience you today live on stage in Cologne.

Eric -Va aleikum Salaam, I am very happy that you were able to come.

Interviewer -How or through whom did you become acquainted with Islam?

Eric -I come from a Catholic family and had over 10 years contact with a Muslim family named Bashir. What particularly impressed me was the fact that they never tried to convince me about Islam. They never attempted to convert me. The way this family lived together was simply exemplary. I already had faith in a creator, and with time the religion of this family began to interest me, and I began to ask questions, which were also answered. Only after that did I become conscious that Islam is a religion which also accepts and respects Jesus, but not as a God, rather as a Prophet made of flesh and blood. Likewise, I found Islam to be all-encompassing, uniting all religions and Prophets in itself. The words and the exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad are a direct way to God and the connection to the truth. "Islam is like gas into the car."

Interviewer: How can you as a musiciann, who is at home on many big stages in this world and who co-operates with many other world-famous artists actually practice your Islam (the five pillars of Islam)?

Eric -As for my Shahada, I said it in 1996. Ramadan is easy for me. However, I don't know yet how it will be in the summer when the days are very long, I don’t know yet, of course (smile). Zakat? Zakat is easy. Allah gives me so much. I then send it home to the brothers in the mosque, and they can do with it what they consider to be right. In the beginning I performed the ritual prayers once a day, then two prayers, then three and now it has become a dear habit for me to perform the five prayers every day. Beyond that, I also pray, of course, on specific occasions, and missed prayers I make up in the evening. And now I am very anxious to find out when it will be possible for me to go on Hajj and visit the house of Allah. Concerning control of the ego, however, that requires many years to achieve the necessary discipline. I will be a Muslim up to the end of my life, but at the same time, I will never be able to live in the security of that, because there'’s always the possibility that tomorrow sin could entrap me again. To that extent I cannot identify myself with the so-called "Born-again Christians," who claim to have been saved yesterday and are already perfect today. I would like to stress, however, that I do not want to say anything negative about other religions, but rather it is just that Islam possesses this special magic in all things. Life according to the rules of Islam is very simple for me, because it corresponds to the healthy human understanding. It is guidance as to how one acts correctly. There are angels, who record our acts and intentions, whereby only the intentions are evaluated by Allah. In other words, it is important to have many good intentions. Allah is mercy, mercy, mercy, and therefore I wrote the piece "Mercy."

Interviewer -What was the reaction of the people around you when they realized that you had become Muslim?

Eric -My mother, who raised me as a Catholic, is happy over the fact that I follow a religion and cultivate my faith in the one God. In order to get a clear head, I decided to leave my old band and turn my back on a life of alcohol and nicotine. My decision was respected and seen as positive by the band members at that time. We parted on good terms. At no point in time have I had difficulty to admitting that I am Muslim, and there is no opposition that is worth mentioning. Meanwhile, about half of my friends are Muslim.

Interviewer -After the separation from "House of Pain," your old band, you participated in SUPERNATURAL, the new album of Carlo Santana, which won 9 nine sensational Grammies. How did this co-operation come about?

Eric -One day I received out of nowhere I received a call from Carlos, whereby he asked me if I didn'’t have a song for his new album. From then on everything went very fast. I had already written the song, “"Put your lights on" on the balcony of my house in the mountains overlooking the city. I was inspired by the lights of the city that came on one by one at sunset . However, I was not sure at that point if I should also record " LA ILAHA IL ALLAH " in the song, because I did not want to sell Allah's words. But Carlos loved this song and absolutely wanted to have it.

Interviewer -What about the rumor that SUPERNATURAL originated from a dream?

Eric - It is true. Carlos told me that he dreamed about a being of light, an angel, who told him to contact me. Alhamdulillah [thanks be to God], there is nothing more to be added to that.

Interviewer -Would you like to share something with our readers in conclusion?

Eric - There is no need for someone like me to spread Islam. Allah does not need me to defend Him. If you look for God, you will find Islam. Keep your faith and hold tight to the truth.

Interviewer -Dear Eric, thank you for the detailed interview. May thousands of rays of Allah's light flow into your heart every day and illuminate your way.

German original © Osmanische Herberge, 2001; English translation © 2001, Allison Bramblett and Dr. Alan Godlas.

THE STONE THAT'S IN MY HAND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUFdBoOv9dE&feature=related

Children's Story

Feat. rahzel

(kids voices)
Uncle whitey, uncle whitey, can you tell us a bedtime story?
Yeah, we want some bedtimes stories...(please!)

Once upon a time not long ago, when people wore pajamas and lived life slow
When laws were stern and justice stood, and people were behavin’ like they our too good
There was a little boy who was misled by another lil’ boy and this is what he said
Me and you, guy, we gonna make sum cash, robbin’ old folks and makin’ the dash
They did the job, money came with ease, but one couldn’t stop, it’s like he had a disease
He robbed another and another and a sister and her brother
Tried to rob a man who was a d.t. undercover, the cop grabbed his arm, he started acting erratic,
He said, keep still, boy, no need for static, punched him in his belly and he gave him a slap
But little did he know the lil’ boy was strapped, the kid pulled out a gun
He said, why’d you hit me? , the barrel was set straight for the cop’s kidney
The cop got scared, the kid, he starts to figure, I’ll do years if I pull this trigger
So he cold dashed and ran around the block, cop radios in to another lady cop
He ran by a tree, there he saw this sister, a shot for the head, he shot back but he missed her
Looked around good and from expectations, so he decided he’d head for the subway stations
But she was coming so he made a left, he was runnin’ top speed till he was outta breath
Knocked an old man down and swore he killed him, then he made his move to an abandoned building
Ran up the stairs up to the top floor, opened up the door there, guess who he saw
Dave the dope fiend shootin’ dope, who don’t know the meaning of water nor soap,
He said, I need bullets, hurry up, run, the dope fiend brought back a spanking shotgun
He went outside but there was cops all over, then he dipped into a car, was a stolen nova
Raced up the block doing 83, crashed into a tree near university,
Escaped alive though the car was battered, rat-a-tat-tatted and all the cops scattered
Ran out of bullets but still had static, grabbed a pregnant lady and out the automatic
Pointed at her head and he said the gun was full of lead
He told the cops, back off or honey here’s dead, deep in his heart he knew he was wrong
So he let the lady go and he starts to move on, sirens sounded, he seemed astounded
Before long the lil’ boy got surrounded, he dropped the gun, so went the glory
And this is the way I must end this story, he was only nineteen, in a madman’s dream
I saw the cops shoot the kid, I still hear him scream, this ain’t funny so don’t you dare laugh
Just another case ’bout the wrong path, straight and narrow or your soul gets cashed
G’night


What It´s Like

We've all seen a man at the liquor store beggin' for your changeThe hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mangeHe asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes"Get a job you fucking slob," is all he repliesGod forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Chorus:
Then you really might know what it's like...Then you really might know what it's like...Then you really might know what it's like...Then you really might know what it's like...
Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in loveHe said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby dollI'm the man you've been dreaming of."But 3 months later he say he won't date her or return her callsAnd she swear, "God damn, if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls."And then she heads for the clinic andshe gets some static walking through the doorThey call her a killer, and they call her a sinnerand they call her a whoreGod forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
Chorus
I've seen a rich man beg I've seen a good man sin I've seen a tough man cry I've seen a loser winAnd a sad man grin I heard an honest man lie I've seen the good side of badAnd the downside of upAnd everything between I licked the silver spoonDrank from the golden cupAnd smoked the finest green I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times before i broke their heartYou know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start
I knew this kid named Max who used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugsHe liked to hang out late he liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugsUntil late one night there was a big old fight and Max lost his headHe pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up deadNow his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this painYou know it comes that way at least that's what they say when you play the gameGod forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like...Then you really might know what it's like...Then you really might know what it's like...to have to lose