Black Star Quotes
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When I look at the arc of my career, my focus is on lyricism, right? I own that.
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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 cent.
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What's more condescending and corny than someone telling you how much more money they have than you and telling you basically, 'I don't care about poor people,' which is a large part of what you hear of corporate hip-hop on the radio.
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My personal take on politics is I deal with social situations and cultural situations in my music and in my life. I have said on record many times that I haven't voted. I'm not the type of person who says, 'I'm never going to vote.' I think it's clear to me that our system has failed us.
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If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you know, cursory. That's like standing.
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Fear not of men because men must die. Mind over matter and soul before flesh.
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When I'm in the studio, I'm strictly thinking about the beats, the rhymes and the song. The decision I make once the songs are created, and there's a barcode put on the package, and I'm out there in the street selling it, those decisions as a businessman are different than the creative decisions you make.
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Life is a beautiful struggle People search through the rubble for a suitable hussle Some people using their noodle Some people using their muscle Some people put it all together make it fit like a puzzle
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I take certain steps to make sure I'm relevant artistically. I always have new music and a reason to be on the road. I'm not just playing 'Get By' over and over. I have 12 albums.
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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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At exactly which point do you start to realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
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There are a lot of people who call themselves teachers or leaders, but they're really just propagandists.
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Why do I need I.D. to get I.D.? If I had I.D. I wouldn't need I.D.
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I don't wanna get into that space where a lot of guys now, their solo album is like eight or 10 songs with other people, you don't get an idea of who this guy is. I just wasn't interested in that.
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I think its man's nature to go to war and fight.
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If 'Life in Marvelous Times' can't get on the radio, then I don't need to be on the radio.
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I met Mos Def around that time but I didn't hook up with him until I was about 17 or 18.
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Twitter freaks me out. You have followers? It feels so obsessive and proprietary.
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If I'm performing with a DJ, it's all on me to draw the energy. I like the camaraderie of a band.
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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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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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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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But it becomes disrespectful when the artist's process is not respected.
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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.