Zaytoven Quotes

They say the music you listen to in your formative years stays with you and leaves an impression for the rest of your life. For me, the things that I fell in love with happened in the '70s, when artists were nurtured by record companies and it wasn't about singles.

If it wasn't for 2 Live Crew videos wouldn't look like they do and rappers wouldn't sound like they do.

I hear a lot of influence from me and Timbaland's whole sound in a lot of records of today. But if you have classics like that, then I'm sure you gotta expect that it's gonna influence some people. So, I'm fine with that.

In 1965, when great young white artists in the English-speaking world were successfully re-channeling hillbilly and black music - you know Bob Dylan, Ray Davies, Pete Townsend, Keith Richards - they didn't get any money at first. They were all broke.

I think the hip hop world and the rock world still have a lot in common, but it certainly seems like things happen and break at a much faster pace in the hip hop world.

I'm trying to be like the old Roc- A-Fella and Bad Boy, influencing people culturally but having hits at the same time.

I just change with the times. I really don't have a say in what's going on. Music was here before me.

I think I skipped a lot of music, like when I was 17 or 18. I didn't know about a lot of new bands because I was so immersed in older music.

The game is changing with songs like 'Earned It' as opposed to it changing me.

When I was 14 years old, I was talking about much more mature things because of the writers that I had at the time. My first album was tied into what the culture was at that moment, which was Jodeci, Al B. Sure, Puff, The Hitmen. I reaped the benefits of being part of Bad Boy's movement. That was my introduction.

It's so cool to hear these DJs and younger artists that are coming around be like, 'Wow, we love your music.'

None of the jazz greats made music for the purpose of you going to check out music before them. Michael Jackson didn't make music so you could go check out Sam Cooke.

I want my music, whether it's sung by other people or sung by myself, to affect the way the Top 40 radio sounds. I want to heavily influence it with things that have come directly from my brain.

It probably all started with The Beatles, and then I guess it goes out from there. Springsteen... Fleetwood Mac... I mean, that's all so inherent in us that when we're making records now, we take a lot from the artists who are around us.

I try to listen to as much as possible. I know some people really try to avoid music when they're writing and recording, but I am very inspired by so many different musicians, and I need to learn.

The sound system influence is undeniable in hip-hop, in jungle, drum and bass, now EDM.

I'm always honored to see my music and New Orleans Bounce make its way into mainstream culture.

I like releasing singles because I can get them out there quickly and it's based on the changes, the sounds that are going on all around the world that I'm hearing and just a whole different bunch of influences which is sometimes hard to get across on an album because it can take a few months or a year to come along.

Music has changed, but there will always be a demand for amazing music.

Well, rock used to be the only game in town in terms of radio and what the kids listen to. Now I think there was a big hip-hop takeover, and pop music, it became mechanical and computer-y.

When dubstep was big, Ubisoft told the composer for 'Far Cry 3' to make dubstep and to me that was really weird.

I love all types of music, and I think the genre lines are starting to get thinner every year.

My dad gave me the 'Introducing Dionne Warwick' album when I was, like, 14. It was the first time I'd heard Burt Bacharach's songwriting and her voice, and it rocked my world. She's such a great singer and communicator. It really helped me shape my own style.

When I was growing up, I was surrounded by people that were listening to a lot of pop music.

I got introduced to Western music and it inspired me. One of my favourite bands is Pink Floyd.