Isaac Hayes gives Hall of Fame praise

Hayes said Monday night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony was "off the hook."

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Hayes kicked off the 17th annual ceremony by singing the theme song from 'Shaft' on Monday night.

The legendary singer and song writer joined CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper Tuesday morning to recap the event.

ANDERSON COOPER: How was last night? It must have been incredible.

ISAAC HAYES: Last night was off the hook, man. The performances were great. Paul Shaffer -- he's great. He's a musician's musician. We had a lot of fun jamming.

COOPER: You've been around for a long time. You started playing clubs in Memphis. It's been a long, long road.

HAYES: Oh, yes.

COOPER: How have you lasted so long?

HAYES: Just adjusting and constantly evolving, expanding and trying to stay as young as I can.

COOPER: You're doing very well, especially with those red shoes.

HAYES: That's right. To wake them up in the morning.

'South Park's' Chef

COOPER: Probably a lot of people know you obviously from the sound track to the movie "Shaft." I think it came out in 1971. But a whole new generation knows you as Chef in "South Park."

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HAYES: Hello, children! They know me from that, you're right.

COOPER: Did you ever think you'd be in a cartoon?

HAYES: I had no idea. I almost passed on it. ["South Park's" creators] Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker] chose me and I started to walk out. I thought it was a Disney thing. I [had] never heard of this thing. Then I went over to the studio (my agent talked me into meeting these guys). I said, "well, they'll last about six weeks, I'll pick up a little change and I'm out of here."

We kept putting them in the can. As time progressed, and toward the opening I started having trepidations -- "Oh my god, what have I done? I've ruined my career." But when it aired, the ratings went through the roof and every subsequent [episode] got higher [ratings].

So I said, "OK, yes, I'm the Chef on 'South Park.'" And my fan base has increased from 6 to 96 because of "South Park."

COOPER: Artists would kill for that kind of legacy and that kind of widespread popularity.

Belated thanks

HAYES: Well, It's great. But I want to do something right now, if I may. This is my guitar player, Skip, the original wa-wa man, the best guitarist on this side of the Sea of Tranquility. In thanking all the people last night, I forgot to mention his name.

COOPER: Oh, no.

HAYES: So, Skip, I apologize, man, you know I love you.

CHARLES SKIP PITTS: Brother, I love you, too. Thank you, man.

HAYES: This guy, he's the original wa-wa guy on "Shaft." We've been through a lot.

COOPER: You should have been inducted as well.

PITTS: No, not quite, but as long as he got it, I'm cool.

COOPER: You were introduced last night by Alicia Keys. That's got to be pretty special.

HAYES: It's special because I worked on her album. She has a great respect for the classic soul tunes and she has a feel for it too. So she knew what she was talking about last night when she inducted me.

COOPER: What do you listen to today?

HAYES: I love Joe. I love Maxwell, Luther Vandross and Mary J. [Blige].

COOPER: Do you like what you hear in music today? Do you think music has gone in the right direction?

HAYES: It's hard to say. I think they could use a little more substance like we had in the day. They're standing on our shoulders. Some of them don't realize [it] because they sample me so much. In fact, Faith Evans got a tune out right now [that is] one of my samples. Erykah Badu just had one, "Bag Lady," -- my sample.

You name them, they all have sampled me. And the kids who are buying this music, they don't know [it]. They think it has originated with the artists that are doing it right now but it goes back years and years.

A Ghana king

COOPER: You were an official, an honorary of the royal family of Ghana. How did that come about?

HAYES: I went over there with Dionne Warwick back in '92. We went through all of the dungeons and it just changed my life. I went back on speaking engagements and encouraged African-Americans to go to Africa [to] interact socially, culturally and/or economically.

This princess heard me speak [then] called her father. She said, "let's honor this man." So they invited me over [to go] through the rituals [for me to become] a development king.

But we've progressed. I [have] built a school in Ghana, and it's a beautiful thing. And now I'm real. It's a real thing now.

My name is Nene Katey Ocansey I [King for Development of Ada].

COOPER: Well, your majesty, thank you very much for being with us, Isaac Hayes, it's been an honor to meet you.

Skip, thanks for coming.