Two posts about Malcolm-Jamal Warner in one week? He didn’t even have his own category until Kaiser wrote about how he dumped Regina King on Valentine’s Day 2013. What a dog. I’m going to try and put that story out of my mind to talk about Malcolm’s new interview with Billboard. He’s promoting his Grammy nomination (for best traditional R&B performance). Malcolm’s also working on a third album.

This interview covers a decent amount of ground. I’m including excerpts about Malcolm’s thoughts on the state of hip hop, his American Horror Story gig, and of course, the Bill Cosby situation. You can tell Malcolm respects his former tv father, but he also feels empathy for the victims of Cosby’s alleged crimes. In other words, Malcolm does not stoop to the level of co-star Phylicia Rashad. Let’s do this:

His music & thoughts on hip-hop: “My music doesn’t necessarily fit into one genre, so I need to be at a company that understands that and the vibe and importance of what I’m doing. Though my music audience is cross-generational, like my television audience, my core demographic is people like myself. People who have grown up on hip-hop, but hip-hop doesn’t necessarily speak to us any longer. We’re not the target demographic. We’re not in our twenties anymore. A lot of hip-hop is made by kids and directed to that younger generation. A lot of the content in hip-hop doesn’t speak to those of us who are older, but we still want music we can bob our heads to — music with an edge to it.”

His role on AHS: “I’m playing opposite Angela Bassett, and I’m in the finale. What’s funny is the set is surprisingly lighthearted. Considering what the storylines are and how much darkness is in the show, everyone on the set is so full of life and fun. You’re expecting a somber vibe, but everyone is the exact opposite.”

On Cosby: “He’s one of my mentors, and he’s been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor. Just as it’s painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it’s just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this. I can’t really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there. The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he’s done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he’s done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That’s the Bill Cosby I know. I can’t speak on the other stuff.”

[From Billboard]

“A lot of hip-hop is made by kids and directed to that younger generation.” He’s talking about Iggy Azalea and Macklemore. I don’t think Malcolm is necessarily throwing shade. He’s stating what he sees as fact and doesn’t sound overly emotional.

Malcolm does sound emotional about Bill Cosby. There’s a great deal of conflict reflected in his words. Malcolm doesn’t want to believe Cosby would do those terrible things, but he’s not calling Cosby the victim like Camille Cosby did. Big difference.

Tons of celebrities continue to weigh in on the Cosby scandal, but Alan Thicke’s statement to Hollywood Reporter sticks out. Thicke (who produced one of Cosby’s 1970s tv shows) said, “I’m sure that Bill must have been a bad boy.” Meanwhile, Cosby received standing ovations in Denver and California last weekend. Gross.

Photos courtesy of WENN