Nick Cannon on Life After Mariah: You've Got to Take the Hardships as Hurdles
Nick Cannon's six-year marriage to Mariah Carey came to an end in 2014, but while they are no longer husband and wife, they're still mom and dad to three-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe. Nick talked to ET about co-parenting and his new ink. NEWS: Nick Cannon Talks Mariah Carey Split   "You got to live life and take hardships and things like that as hurdles that were made to jump over, " Nick told ET's Kevin Frazier.  "If there's no issues within yourself or within your own family, then what other people say on the outside really doesn't matter. " Despite negative headlines, Nick has kept his head high through the split. Before the breakup, Nick famously had Mariah's name tattooed on his back. The name has since been masked by a massive new design featured in Urban Ink magazine, but Nick insists that he is in no way running from his past.  "Everyone's like, 'Oh, he's trying to cover up the previous ones.' To me it's just life, " Nick said.  "That's a part of me, so I incorporated it into what the new art is. " NEWS: Nick Cannon Covers Up His Huge Mariah Carey Tattoo  Fans can expect to see his new ink a lot this summer, as the comedian told Kevin that he plans on spending much of the season shirtless.  "I've been in the gym, Kevin. I'm trying to get my sex symbol on! " Nick said.  "Before it was like, 'Ok, I'll go to the gym to stay healthy,' but now I'm like, 'Yo, I got to  keep my shirt off. This is a no-shirt summer coming up. I'm getting everybody prepared: I probably won't be clothed this summer. " In addition to his new tats, he also has a new book of poetry, Neon Aliens Ate My Homework, which was released in February.  "The book is for Roc and Roe, " Nick said of his twins.  "I felt like when I got to that place of being a father, I thought I want to do things that my kids can be a part of and proud of. " NEWS: Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart Get Real  He wrote some of the poetry for the kids at Saint Mary's Hospital for Children, which he visited right after the interview. Watch the video below to see Kevin Frazier put Cannon's poem skills to the test. It's the ultimate battle of the best rhymes.Â