Ian Brown Quotes

One song will launch you, but you don't want to be a one-song artist.

In rock music, you have a big success before you turn 30, then there is sort of a decay. Then there is the reunion, and everyone is waiting to hear what you were doing when you were 20, and nobody cares what you are doing at 50 or 60. But the more I continue, the more I produce, the more I play every year in bigger places.

There's quite a few artists that didn't pop off until they were a little older - Rick James being one.

Most artists over 40 or 50 don't get played on the radio. It's a young people's game. I was ready for that.

When I was younger, I worked for several years composing music for commercials, but I was very happy to give that up. I didn't really like it, it was a way of financing my bands.

When I look at the life of those artists I admire, I believe that age isn't a big factor. As long as I have the capacity to accept a wide range of music, and have the ability to produce and make new music, I think I'd be okay as an older K-pop artist.

I used to sing as a living while I was at university.

I've dedicated more than 15 years to this theater and television thing; I want to spend the next 10, 15 years or so devoted to music.

My dad Peter, who was my roadie when I was starting out, had loads of confidence but couldn't sing.

My parents went out of their way for me ever since I left school. When I was 15, I said to Mum, 'I'm leaving school,' and she was like, 'Okay.' I joined a cover band and played three nights a week, and they were really supportive of that.

I was a studio engineer out in L.A. for about six or seven years, and I played sideman for different people, and played in bar bands. I was an old man of 32 when I made my first album.

I was definitely thinking I'd go to college and make music on the side.

When you've done so many records in 20 years like I have, you're going to have ebbs and flows and go through peaks and valleys.

One thing that I do want to say is Drake, as an artist, anybody has to respect him. He's in the game, and he's been in the game - he has longevity, even if he doesn't write or writes his music.

Coming back to America to pursue music is a dream.

I'm glad 'Honest' came out right after 'Karate Chop,' because I don't want to be seen as a one-hit wonder.

Why isn't there any 50-year-old MCs killing it? I'm 46. Am I the only one? I can't wait to get to 50. I'm going to let everybody know it! I'm going to wear a shirt that says 'I'm 50.'

I want to make money playing guitar.

I grew up making music in my mum's basement, and I used to tell her I was going down there to work, and she'd say, 'That's not work. Go get a real job!' It took me signing a record deal to change her opinion!

People have compared me to Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Eminem, and J. Cole. They bring substance and largely are all good storytellers, and those are two of my biggest strengths. It's dope to be compared to people who have longevity in the game because that's the most important thing for me: I want my name to live forever.

I can imagine myself as an old man writing music for choir or orchestra. I don't know that I'll be touring six months out of the year in a rock band when I'm 60.

I'll be, like, the oldest rapper alive.

When I was a kid, I never thought I would ever be able to make records and never really thought seriously about a musical career because a musical career was being Fabian or Frankie Avalon or something. It didn't make any sense. There wasn't any possibility to get into that world.

I started as a music director in Punjab and then started singing.

I always wanted to be a composer, and I sort of went in to NYU as pre-med because I just thought, 'Well... who actually becomes a composer?'