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...Cops just surrounding me with pistols everywhere. They put me in the backseat of their car handcuffed, Pushed out them chests like they're big rough and tough. A cop come and said 'You'll never sell your guns now.' I said 'It doesn't matter, you'll sell them anyhow. You take the guns from me, you sell them for a fee; Anyway you put it, they'll get in the city!'
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
I grew up in them streets, like everyone else but instead of pushin' drugs, I pushed knowledge of self
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions
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I make intelligence cool. I make spirituality cool. If we can make one's devotion to God cool, then I think I did a great thing. I can rest in peace.
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I think music should be free. I think all communication should be free. I think people should respect artists, and there should be a certain respect for artists who give their music away for free. If your music winds up on Napster and you approve of it, then the person downloading your music should at least go to your concert, should at least purchase your songs.
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It's not that you don't make any money doing conscious rap music. You make a lot of money doing this, but if you're greedy and you're not satisfied with $500,000 a year, and you want $2 million a year, then you will suffer as a conscious rap artist.
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You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
Hip is the knowledge and Hop is the movement.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
Are you tired of lyrical liars, passing fliers, Wannabe MC's, but really good triers, Tripping over mic cords, getting you bored, A total fraud, this kind of thing I can't afford!
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions
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Hip-hoppers are not interpreting what hip-hop is, and when we do interpret it, we interpret it as something immature, unorganized, and outlaw.
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The single most important contribution that I can offer, the strengthening of people's spirit and soul, the strengthening of families, the unity of a husband and a wife. To me, that's most important. Without that, we have nothing. If a son doesn't respect a father, if a child doesn't respect a parent, then we're lost.
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If you're true to the upliftment of people and the unity of people, raising the self-worth of people, then you live within your means. But the problem is that we're looking at the grass on the other side, saying, "That's greener. I want to be in the thug market, but I want to be a conscious rap artist." It doesn't work like that.
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Rap is still an art, and no-one's from the Old School Cuz rap is still a brand-new tool
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Deepak Chopra, look at him. He's probably the most successful self-help guru in the world. I don't think he's struggling for any marketing or exposure. You've just got to know where your audience is.
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To me, that's the biggest problem with hip-hop today is the fact that everyone believes that all of hip-hop is rap music, and that, when you say "hip-hop," it's synonymous with rap. That when you say "hip-hop," you should be thinking about breakdancing, graffiti art, or MCing - which is the proper name for rap - DJing, beat-boxing, language, fashion, knowledge, trade. You should be thinking about a culture when you say, "hip-hop.".
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions
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Stop the negativity and control our creativity
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Love yourself and your expression, you can't go wrong.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
I told Wayne to his face he was the dopest MC out. MC, not rapper. I told him to his face because I believe that, Wayne is nice! Wayne is bananas with his lyrics, with his whole delivery, with his whole thing. Lil Wayne is the man!
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
Just black executives have a bias against older artists. We don't respect our elders. That's not because of white people. That's because of black leadership. We just have that problem, and it's something that I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to conquer.
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You know something, it's best no to have what you need because then, you start looking for what you need and make it what you need.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
Real men are real friends, showing their real commitment.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions
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The courage to be yourself is the essence of hip hop
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Educate yourself make your world view bigger, visualize wealth, and put yourself in the picture
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
I've enjoyed much success. The IRS is always at my door, constantly.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions -
It's just hypocrisy on hip-hop's part to cry racial profiling when your race is on TV acting like fools.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker Boogie Down Productions