Black Star Quotes
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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.
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Young kids should be doing music that has shock value. They'll grow out of it.
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I think music sharing of any kind is great.
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What is Norah Jones' style? Is it just the albums that we've heard? She has a rock group where she plays guitar in, downtown in New York, so do we really know her style?
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We played against each other like puppets, swearing you got pull When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes Getting knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise Look in the skies for god, what you see besides the smog Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene.
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I like collaboration because, first of all, I'm good at writing lyrics. I don't know how to make beats. I don't play instruments. I'm not a good singer. So even when you see a solo album of mine, it's still a collaboration.
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There just needs to be a gay rapper. He doesn't have to be flamboyant, just a rapper who identifies as gay - who's better than everybody. Unfortunately hip-hop is so competitive that in order for fringe groups to get in, you gotta be better than whoever's the best.
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You know, I've learned a lot from every person I've collaborated with, from Madlib to Jean Grae and Hi-Tek, to Mos to DJ Quik, to even somebody like Jermaine Dupri. I've taken something important away from every experience.
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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.
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You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions.
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I'm a fan of Bjork, a fan of Premier, you know, those are the first two names that come to my mind. You know, I've learned a lot from every person I've collaborated with, from Madlib to Jean Grae and Hi-Tek, to Mos to DJ Quik, to even somebody like Jermaine Dupri. I've taken something important away from every experience.
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My kids are the most inspiring thing that pushes me. It used to be because they were born, and I had to take care of them. Now it's because my son raps, and he's better than me. So now I gotta keep up with him, you know what I'm saying?
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I'm at a loss for words. But even my loss is amplified.
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When Occupy Wall Street happened, I took my money out of Citibank. I already had problems with all the banks - Citibank, Bank of America - but I was kind of just too lazy to take my money out until I saw how Citibank responded to Occupy Wall Street.
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The problem with our role is Americans live in a world of illusion.
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Fame is like getting across the street. It's like, if there's nothing to be across the street for, it's a pointless destination.
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I think once you're in the public eye, whether you're a boss, a teacher or whatever you do, that you're automatically in the position of role model. You have people looking up to you, so whether you choose to accept it or not is a different question.
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We commute through computers. Spirits stay mute while our ego spread rumors. We're survivalists turned to consumers
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Hip-hop isn't as complex as a woman is.
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I'm retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I'm actually doing it.
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Honestly, you have to take care of yourself. That's probably something I have learned on the road.
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I tour whether I have album out or not. I tour more than any other hip-hop artist.
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I don't go into any album with pressing issues. I just try to write songs.
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At exactly which point do you start to realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise?