The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.
The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.
My record company had to beg me to stop filmin' music videos in the projects. No matter what the son...
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My record company had to beg me to stop filmin' music videos in the projects. No matter what the song was about, I had 'em out there.
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I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it, man. I'm not perfect,...
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I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it, man. I'm not perfect, and I'm just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time, you know?
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The things that I have said when I was young and curious about whatever the subject matter was, I re...
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The things that I have said when I was young and curious about whatever the subject matter was, I respect those - those are growing pains. Even if you make mistakes, I go back to those things, my not-so-great moments because those are my truest moments; those are my human moments. I'm not even mad at the things I said that were a little dicey.
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Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like...
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Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate... I had a best friend killed, plenty other friends killed. I been through it. I seen it.
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Hip-hop lasted and survived all these years that you have to give it credit. Even though it's not up...
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Hip-hop lasted and survived all these years that you have to give it credit. Even though it's not up to people's expectations anymore, its still here, and that's says a lot.
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Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you kno...
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Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you know what I mean? I just talk about what's going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down.
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When you're a teenager, you want to meet a lot of girls - you want to get the most girls. You don't ...
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When you're a teenager, you want to meet a lot of girls - you want to get the most girls. You don't know anything about respect; you don't know anything about being faithful and loyal to your girlfriend.
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When you have a daughter, you want to protect her from the things that I've seen out there, you know...
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When you have a daughter, you want to protect her from the things that I've seen out there, you know, the things that's out there that ain't good for her. It's a crazy world we live in.
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I'm just little me, an American who wants to see his country do better.
I'm just little me, an American who wants to see his country do better.
I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do.
I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do.
No one's promised anything. You could have the biggest record on radio and sell no records.
No one's promised anything. You could have the biggest record on radio and sell no records.
I'll always love rap, no matter what's going on.
I'll always love rap, no matter what's going on.
'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.
'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.
Once you make it to your point of making it, you'll appreciate the struggle.
Once you make it to your point of making it, you'll appreciate the struggle.
I think if I heard someone else talking about their life, describing all the problems I've had, they...
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I think if I heard someone else talking about their life, describing all the problems I've had, they'd look like they were through. Done. But there's something about me - I'm smiling. Those things are really not bad enough to put me in a slump. I'm smiling with the opportunity to wake up every morning.
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The flaws, the mistakes I make - that's the real me.
The flaws, the mistakes I make - that's the real me.
Your look reflects what's happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you.
Your look reflects what's happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you.
I think the hip-hop purists are purists through and through. They're here to criticize all of us. Th...
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I think the hip-hop purists are purists through and through. They're here to criticize all of us. That's just how it is. We as MC's criticize each other. That's the nature of hip-hop.
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Let's not forget, art can sell. You ain't gotta front all the time on your records.
Let's not forget, art can sell. You ain't gotta front all the time on your records.
To me, creatively challenging myself is my version of owning the Nets.
To me, creatively challenging myself is my version of owning the Nets.
There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people woul...
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There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people would respect it.
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I've been called everything. Gangsta rap. I've been called conscious rap. You know, everything. Whoe...
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I've been called everything. Gangsta rap. I've been called conscious rap. You know, everything. Whoever feels like calling it whatever they want to call it, that's on them.
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All fatherhood is very important because single mothers shouldn't have to raise sons or daughters; t...
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All fatherhood is very important because single mothers shouldn't have to raise sons or daughters; they need that help.
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Working with great people makes you great; you learn a lot and it also gives you the experience and ...
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Working with great people makes you great; you learn a lot and it also gives you the experience and confidence to move on with your own career.
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Anybody can be a rapper, but not anybody can be a classical artist.
Anybody can be a rapper, but not anybody can be a classical artist.
Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.
Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.
Some people say I'm conscious, some say I'm a gangsta rapper - it's just me doing me. I'm stomping i...
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Some people say I'm conscious, some say I'm a gangsta rapper - it's just me doing me. I'm stomping in my own lane. I'm doing what I do.
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DJs play a big responsibility of what hip-hop is doing... At the end of the day, it's up to us to co...
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DJs play a big responsibility of what hip-hop is doing... At the end of the day, it's up to us to control and to own hip-hop. DJs need to challenge us rappers. They got so much power, they need to challenge us.
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When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead...
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When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead.
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Calling Michelle 'Obama Barack's baby mama?' Tell me, is that acceptable? But the Obamas aren't the ...
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Calling Michelle 'Obama Barack's baby mama?' Tell me, is that acceptable? But the Obamas aren't the only targets. Fox's pattern of race-baiting and fear-mongering regularly focuses on black leaders, black institutions and ordinary black people.
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I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop... We are our own politicia...
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I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say. We're warriors. Soldiers.
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I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.
I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.
[on why he holds a dove in each hand on the back cover of his 2002 album "God's Son"] We deal with m...
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[on why he holds a dove in each hand on the back cover of his 2002 album "God's Son"] We deal with money, cars, smog, pollution, and drugs. But being in the sky, they can fly and look at the world without dealing with our bullshit. Matter of fact, they shit on us. I really admire them.
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I can't control what people think. They know who I am.
I can't control what people think. They know who I am.
I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rh...
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I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rhythm of it and the words start to come to my mind and those words could be based on things that's been on my mind for the past year, the past month, the past week, whatever; I write it.
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With age comes common sense and wisdom.
With age comes common sense and wisdom.
Divorce can be crazy. Man, if you're happy... Love is a beast, man. Hold on. Be prepared for any way...
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Divorce can be crazy. Man, if you're happy... Love is a beast, man. Hold on. Be prepared for any way it may go, and be honest.
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I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it ...
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I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it feels like it.
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I wish the music business was a much easier thing, but you know what? Nothing easy is worth anything...
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I wish the music business was a much easier thing, but you know what? Nothing easy is worth anything. So it is what it is. There comes a time when things can work out and everybody can be happy. And that's what it's all about in the end - everybody being happy and working it out.
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I definitely have plans to do more collaboration albums in the future. I'm a big fan of Common. I'm ...
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I definitely have plans to do more collaboration albums in the future. I'm a big fan of Common. I'm a big fan of Scarface; I'm a big fan of so many people, from Jeezy to... well, there are a lot of people's music that I respect. I don't know who I will collaborate with, but there's a great chance of something happening.
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You can't please everybody. You'd be crazy if you're trying to. So take some time out to do some thi...
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You can't please everybody. You'd be crazy if you're trying to. So take some time out to do some things for yourself.
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I don't have time for the news clippings. I got my own mission.
I don't have time for the news clippings. I got my own mission.
I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it's a grind. N.Y. rappers are h...
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I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it's a grind. N.Y. rappers are hustlers - whatever sound is in, we can adapt to that; there's nothing wrong with that.
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No matter who you are, black, white, green, there's going to be things in your way, you know what I ...
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No matter who you are, black, white, green, there's going to be things in your way, you know what I mean?
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I never stood for any president in my life, never voted, before Barack Obama. It changed my life to ...
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I never stood for any president in my life, never voted, before Barack Obama. It changed my life to vote. It starts there with me. I never cared for politics before Barack Obama. I never thought it mattered to people like me.
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Hip-hop is really standoffish. It's really competitive and it's really about who's number one all th...
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Hip-hop is really standoffish. It's really competitive and it's really about who's number one all the time. Sometimes it gets out of hand.
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Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun. My fun is not doing the easy work...
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Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun. My fun is not doing the easy work. My fun is doing what's me.
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I love PBS! I grew up on it. If I had to say which channels were good, I'd say, you got your PBS, yo...
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I love PBS! I grew up on it. If I had to say which channels were good, I'd say, you got your PBS, your History Channel, your Discovery.
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I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life w...
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I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life was.
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N.Y. hip-hop is ok, but we gotta become brave again; we have to be brave enough and do something new...
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N.Y. hip-hop is ok, but we gotta become brave again; we have to be brave enough and do something new - that's what New York is about... New.
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I think the fact that I made enough noise in the world that I might be remembered is an amazing achi...
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I think the fact that I made enough noise in the world that I might be remembered is an amazing achievement. You can't ask for more than that.
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Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My atti...
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Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.
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You know, rap is sort of like a form of talking, right? So it's like you can hear, you know, the sla...
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You know, rap is sort of like a form of talking, right? So it's like you can hear, you know, the slaves doing it. You can hear, like, you know, Africans and Jamaicans doing it just kind of as, like, a rhythmic, poetic conversation, you know, to a rhythm.
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Whenever I received too much praise, it just didn't feel right to me - ever.
Whenever I received too much praise, it just didn't feel right to me - ever.
I love the art world, I love art galleries, I love what it means - I love art.
I love the art world, I love art galleries, I love what it means - I love art.
I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, S...
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I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I'm talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life.
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It's never been seen that a street artist go as far as I've gone - keep consistent without wanting t...
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It's never been seen that a street artist go as far as I've gone - keep consistent without wanting to do a bunch of ventures outside of music to keep my face out there.
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'Stillmatic' is the rebirth of 'Illmatic,' my first debut album to come out in 1994. 'Stillmatic' is...
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'Stillmatic' is the rebirth of 'Illmatic,' my first debut album to come out in 1994. 'Stillmatic' is me coming full circle in my career and with everything, and just bringing pure hip-hop back.
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Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them.
Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them.
I don't go out unless I'm working. My quality time is when I'm doing nothing.
I don't go out unless I'm working. My quality time is when I'm doing nothing.
Africa has been going through so much for so many years; it's time that it stands up the way other n...
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Africa has been going through so much for so many years; it's time that it stands up the way other nations are standing up.
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Hip-hop artists, especially the older ones, are the ones who knew hip-hop was a worldwide phenomenon...
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Hip-hop artists, especially the older ones, are the ones who knew hip-hop was a worldwide phenomenon before the mainstream caught on, so hip-hop artists are forward thinkers. We want to stay with the new.
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I had a pretty public divorce. They're not easy - divorces - and it took me a long time to really ge...
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I had a pretty public divorce. They're not easy - divorces - and it took me a long time to really get through.
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Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.
Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.
I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I thin...
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I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still blessed with the opportunity to make music and pass out a message like, 'Life is good,' to the world.
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I don't get jealousy, I don't get how people hate each other - I never did.
I don't get jealousy, I don't get how people hate each other - I never did.
We're all Africans, everyone - black, white, yellow.
We're all Africans, everyone - black, white, yellow.
I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up.
I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up.
Hip-hop is bigger than the South; hip-hop is bigger than New York.
Hip-hop is bigger than the South; hip-hop is bigger than New York.
GaGa is one of my favourites. Her voice is incredible and she's fearless and she's ahead of the game...
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GaGa is one of my favourites. Her voice is incredible and she's fearless and she's ahead of the game. She's ahead of the entire game, and I admire that.
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Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that ...
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Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.
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My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big...
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My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.
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I think marriage is a beautiful thing. I'm still a supporter of it.
I think marriage is a beautiful thing. I'm still a supporter of it.
