Angie Thomas Quotes

I loved reading when I grew up but did feel totally invisible because I couldn't see myself and my life reflected in the books I was reading.

I've always been interested in how fast-moving our identity is and that I've never been able to pin down who I truly am. That inspires me to write, because I feel like that cements me a bit, in that I find my identity in being an artist.

There was this rapper from New Orleans, Mystikal, who when I hear his music, I hear myself. Whenever I wanna get hyped, I put on Mystikal.

I view myself as being the average woman. While I am first lady, I wasn't first lady my whole life. I'm a product of pop culture. I'm a consumer of pop culture, and I know what resonates with people.

Hip hop's all about expression. That's why I got into it.

I love hip hop. It's such an appendage for me. It's something that's always shaped my experience out in the world.

Every single day, I wake up and take a glimpse of where I am now compared to where I was before, and the work that we have all put in to be in this space. I think of that, and being able to express myself through my art and show up and be present - that's activism, advocacy, and artistry in itself.

Seeing someone that you can relate to in the media is everything as a child, and a lot of people are not granted that luxury.

A lot of people are not interested in stories in which they don't see themselves.

There's a little bit of me in everybody that I play.

With 'Girls,' I have been able to plug into almost everything I've felt that's personal and sensitive.

I grew up looking for myself onscreen and never could find myself. And I believe that I am supposed to be Toula to show people that it's O.K. to be different.

It's important to read books and see people who look like you. It helps you know that you are not the only one or the weird one because you're a black girl and you are not seeing anyone who looks like you in these books.

People should listen to my music if they just want to know me better.

When I was growing up, in the '80s and '90s, I just never really saw myself reflected in the things that I had a liking for. It makes a difference.

I've been writing a lot of songs about my personal life and identity. That can be a real healing process.

Rappers are the white authors of our generation. They know me, my language, my codes, my family, my block.

For me, like, obviously, I want to see myself onscreen.

I just want other women to be able to see themselves in the music.

Hip-hop is substance. It's social. It's science - that's what it started off as. We have fun, and we still having fun; ain't nothing wrong with fun, but we need that social, we need that substance, we need that science, and we need that spiritual.

I am a black woman, and I'm proud of that, but as a showrunner, I want to think about what makes me unique beyond my race.

I guess I'm the guy from the Beastie Boys. I'm one of the guys from the Beastie Boys. I guess that's what I'll always identify myself as.

My music is a whole reflection of who I'm as an individual.

When I was a youth, to be called 'African' was a diss. At school, the African kids used to lie and say they were Jamaican. So when I first came in the game, and I'm saying lyrics like, 'I make Nigerians proud of their tribal scars/ My bars make you push up your chest like bras,' that was a big deal for me.

Several years ago, I had the words 'let the music set you free' tattooed behind my left ear, as it really is my mantra for life.