AHHA: What are your thoughts for your wearing gold?
Mr. T: I know what you're saying and I can explain it to you. First of all like I tell everybody, Mr. T never wore bling. That's a Hip-Hop culture [thing]. Like I tell people who knew anything thing about me, I wore the gold for three reasons. One, as a Christian. When Jesus was born, three wise men came from the east. One brought frankincense, one brought myrrh, the other one brought gold. None of them brought bling, no wise man brought bling. Bling is not in The Bible. The second reason I wore the gold is because I could afford it. I could afford the gold, I made millions of dollars on the A-Team every year. The third reason I wore the gold is symbolic of my African heritage. When my black ancestors was bought over here from Africa they were shackled by their neck, they wrist and they ankles in steel chains. I turned those steel chains into gold to symbolize the fight. I'm still a slave, only my price tag is higher.
AllHipHop.com: Another sensation that's recently come back is the mohawk. Do you still have you mohawk?
Mr.T: I still have the mohawk, brother, and I'm a tell you something else. Even though people still call it the mohawk I say "I don't wanna be disrespectful to the Mohican Indians but there is a tribe in Africa called the Mandinka warriors." They're in the west coast of Africa in the country of Mali, and how did I find out about it? I was reading National Geographic Magazine back in 1977, and I saw the warrior standing there with his spear and his beads around his neck and whatnot and the stuff on his ankles. That was what gave me the idea, I said "Wow, let me bring respect to them,” so basically what I wear is called a Mandinka cut. but I don't get mad if they call it a mohawk or whatever, it's okay. But that's the reason, with everything I do, there's a reason. That's why I told you about the earrings and the message about the gold. I didn't just say "Okay that looks good," and put it around my neck. I'm not gonna buy something without planning. If I buy $100,000 worth of gold, I gotta put $100,000 aside for my family in case something happens. You look kind of stupid wearing all that gold and you didn't have no plan.
AllHipHop.com: Did you give up gold?
Mr. T: Yes, I took it off, because as a Christian when I watched the people in Katrina they lost everything. I'm not just speaking about the Black people, I'm talking about White, Chinese, Oriental, whoever lost stuff. My heart went out to 'em. I said as a Christian it would be a sin before God for me to wear my gold around people, flashing it in their face and they don't have nothing. So I said never again would I wear my gold, I want people to know I have a heart of gold and not the gold around my neck
