ASAP Rocky Quotes

We're all standing on the shoulders of what other people have done. But you're supposed to take that and add your own sauce. It can be intimidating, believe me.

Advice for young people who want to channel their personality into creative work - be authentic.

It's hard work to find your own voice and not to copycat anything.

No man was ever great by imitation.

I don't want ever to be guilty of what my critics claim: doing formula without original elements.

You can't be all of the people you're influenced by, so you make your own filter and create your own beautiful, unique thing in the world. Soak up the world, man, and make something of your own.

Well, so far, at least, my own ideas always take priority over those of other writers. As long as the well doesn't run dry, I imagine this will be the case.

I'm constantly trying to be as original as I can.

I'd rather do my own performance than copy someone else's.

I want to evolve each season. I never want to be one of those brands where people know what they're going to see. I always want an element of surprise. One thing I never want to do is copy what anybody else is doing. I have a signature, and it's very important to me to stay true to that.

At the end of the day, you can't do a copy of somebody.

I like to create something that's unique and kind of true to myself and authentic and everything. I don't really like to mirror myself after different artists.

Sometimes you find your voice by trying to write like people, and sometimes you find it by trying to write unlike people.

You borrow from the greats, and you make your own path without losing the core of who you are.

I say to my pupils, 'You can pitch me any thing you've got, but tell me why you're the only person who can write it in the world. Keep digging.'

Everything I do is me. I don't like taking ideas from people unless they're the G.O.A.T.

I hope that the things that I sing about will be an inspiration for people to be original.

I dont ever want to do anything mediocre. I hear the music in the charts and I dont mean to be rude, but those people have no soul. Learning from music is like eating a meal - you have to pace yourself. You cant take everything from it all at once. I want to be different, definitely. Im not a one trick pony. Im at least a five-trick pony.

I didn't sit down and work out other people's material; I've never believed in that.

You can’t learn your craft by copying me or anyone else. I hope what I do can do is in some way inspire others but I would be appalled if I thought my work was being studied as ‘the right way to do the job’. My way is just one of an infinite number of ways to do the job.

Write about what makes you different.

Write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

I would never be innovative enough to "blaze my own trail," I'm just trying to be interesting. So I don't look to anyone else as far as inspiration.

When everyone starts sounding the same, that's when you know the words and phrases have become clichés. Instead of speaking in clichés, I encourage people just to be themselves, let their passion burn brightly, and go work on things they love spending their time on.

People are always talking about originality; but what do they mean? As soon as we are born, the world begins to work upon us; and this goes on to the end. And after all, what can we call our own, except energy, strength, and will? If I could give an account of all that I owe to great predecessors and contemporaries, there would be but a small balance in my favor.