Dave East Quotes

I've always been rapping before I was making money off of it. Before I made a profit, I had always been rapping.

Hip-hop is supposed to help you elevate, or go higher.

I started rapping when I was about 12 or 13, just playing around with it.

I hate rap music, which to me sounds like a bunch of angry men shouting, possibly because the person who was supposed to provide them with a melody never showed up.

Hip-hop was super-exotic to us in Canada.

I was bringing the whole music, hip-hop, art, break dancing and urban cultural thing to the downtown table.

Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.

That's what hip-hop is: It's sociology and English put to a beat, you know.

Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.

The part of modern pop music I don't know much about is hip hop.

I grew up in Chicago, so hip-hop has always been a part of my life.

You know, most people called rap stupid when it started, and it was one of the most innovative music forms of its time.

Well, hip-hop is what makes the world go around.

I know about hip-hop culture, whether it's graffiti writing or DJ-ing or being an MC.

I came from the South Side of Chicago wanting to be a rap artist and make videos.

Nas always been my favorite rapper, but 50 Cent, he changed my way of thinking about music 'cause he was so detailed in his music, I knew that wasn't lying. I never felt Tupac that way; I never felt Biggie that way. I love Nas music, but I never felt and believed like, 'This is for real.' 'Cause I grew up that gangsta lifestyle.

Hip-hop, which is my generation's blues, is important to the characters that I write about. They use hip-hop to understand the world through language.

The only time I ever really got into rap was back in the early '90s, and bands like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gang Starr. Musically, they were really interesting. But when hip-hop acts start sampling Sting or Phil Collins, then I just don't get it at all.

Hip-hop culture is probably one of the most powerful things to come out of America in a long time - everything from the music to the art to the dance to the language.

Hip Hop emerged fearlessly and unappoligeticly reflecting our society.

I fell in love with hip-hop at an early age as a culture, as a sound, both from the perspective of a fan and a creative outlet.

Hip hop is the way it is because of America.

Lil Wayne was one of my favorite rappers.

I started rapping towards the end of middle school. In high school, with a lot of my friends, we would make beats and just start rapping - beating on the wall, beating on the table and freestyling.

I've never been massive on rap, but there's that whole kind of culture of U.K. rap.