Talib Kweli Quotes
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War is not civilized.
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Even an independent label is looking for a hit, they're not looking for a record that's not gonna do well.
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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 think over time they're gonna have to.
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You have to learn how to harness technology so you can use it for positive stuff without being disconnected from nature.
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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. So there's a direct relationship between my inspiration and my output.
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Being called 'conscious' is a great thing to be, but it's the connotations and preconceived notions that come with the buying audience about what conscious music can be.
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The way I see it, if people truly love my music, they will support me in some way down the road.
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But it becomes disrespectful when the artist's process is not respected.
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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 be fly as hell but you'll never give an emcee props.
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I don't go into any album with pressing issues. I just try to write songs.
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Persistance, dedication Consistent, motivation, resistance to stagnation of information, distribute it free to the entire population No hesitation, makin it public No privitazation from corporations
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You know, there's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type of struggle.
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I don't think that early hip hop stood out to be a social critique. A lot of fans of mine think that hip hop's ultimate responsibility is to critique social structures.
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The only way for me to be an artist is to be honest in my craft. If I veer from that, I'm not giving the investors what they want. Sometimes it's my job as an artist to know what I want to do, even when the fans tell me different.
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Homosexuality in hip-hop is an extension of homosexuality in the black community. The black community is very, very conservative when it comes to homosexuality, and I don't mean conservative in the good way, like we're saving money. I mean very intolerant.
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The responsibility of an artist is to be honest with themselves.
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Creating crime rates to fill the new prisons they build Over money and religion theres more blood that spills Like the wounds of slaves in cotton fields that never heal Whats the deal?
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And you know, art as commerce, doesn't really make too much sense, they don't go together.
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Hi-Tek is on three or four songs on the new record.
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I think hip hop is a dance music that's rebellious by nature.
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Yo, I heard it's said the revolution won't be televised But in the land of milk and honey there's a date you gotta sell it by Otherwise it just expires and spoils and these folks jump out the pot when the water too hot
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My musical influence is really from my father. He was a DJ in college. My parents met at New York University. So he listened to, you know, Motown, and he listened to Bob Dylan. He listened to Grateful Dead and Rolling Stones, but he also listened to reggae music. And he collected vinyl.
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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.
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I'm not an artist that has a big, huge radio record that's going to be on BET.