Hi-Tek is on three or four songs on the new record.

The beautiful thing about hip-hop is it’s like an audio collage. You can take any form of music and do it in a hip-hop way and it’ll be a hip-hop song. That’s the only music...

You have to know when to be arrogant. You have to when to be humble. You have to know when to be hard and you have to know when to be soft.

Hip-hop is a vehicle.

The problem with our role is Americans live in a world of illusion.

But you have to be creative on how you sell yourself and market yourself.

Hip-hop isn’t as complex as a woman is.

We’re in an illusion about what our role is in world politics and foreign affairs, and our policies are killing and destroying and doing a lot of things that we are not aware of.

I ignored your aura but it grabbed me by the hand, like the moon pulled the tide, and the tide pulled the sand.

I like the last Scarface album a lot.

I don’t feel comfortable making empty music.

Well if somebody’s giving me a script, I’ll consider it. But it’s not something I’m chasing.

A lot of these people, these program directors, just like anybody else in the world, even though they’re supposed to be leaders in the world, they’re followers. They follow what they think someone else is...

I think its man’s nature to go to war and fight.

I think all those artists are artists who are appreciated because you believe their words and you appreciate their honesty in their music. If you don’t appreciate the honesty in the music, the beat can...

I listened to a mind joint, and I wanted to do my own version of it, and what you hear on my mixtape is my take on what the whole CD sounds like.

Ain’t nobody making music to not be heard and the easiest way to be heard is to be on the radio, but you should never compromise who you are, your values or your morals.

I will never do a record without some sense of responsibility.

I think music sharing of any kind is great.

I met Mos Def around that time but I didn’t hook up with him until I was about 17 or 18.

And you know, art as commerce, doesn’t really make too much sense, they don’t go together.

Music is not an exact science so depending on the time and the mode and the energy when we do it that will determine what happens with it.

I was always rhyming and doing it for the love before I found out I was gonna have children and when I found out, doing it for the love wasn’t enough.

I not only wanted to showcase lyrical skills but also continue to drop knowledge on the hiphop community. I’m looking to elevate through my music, and through my music I educate.

As far as being on a major label, some labels get it and get what they have to do, and some labels don’t. I don’t think the label I’m on necessarily gets it, but I...

War is not civilized.

I’m not looking to set a standard… but, I believe I have offered a challenge to others with my work.

I started rapping because I wanted people to hear what I have to say, I want as many people to hear me as possible, and I do everything in my power to make that pop.

But it becomes disrespectful when the artist’s process is not respected.

Let me finish my music, and let me present it the way I want to present it. And then share it, put it online, do whatever you want to do after that.

People consider Black Star a great album, and I think it’s a classic album. But the fact is, both me and Mos Def have made better albums since Black Star.

Even an independent label is looking for a hit, they’re not looking for a record that’s not gonna do well.

Once you’re signed to a label you compromise.

So I just had to step up how I was doing it and the moment that I stepped up and the moment I focused all my energy on that is when things started to happen....

Fortunately, artists can live off their works, if you’re creative at how you do it. If you just depend on the videos and the radio, you’re at a loss.

So I think hip-hop is moving and is going to continue to move in the direction of rappers just being honest with themselves, whether you’re talking about Common and Mos Def or Nas and 50...

Woman are complex creatures.