Rick Ross Quotes

I'm not hip-hop. I'm Tyler.

Only one music comes out of me.

This business switching styles can't be done honestly by one man. As soon as he can play his instrument well, he can express himself, and all his life he has only one self.

I wasn't trying to be famous when I started making music. I mean, that wasn't the first thing I wanted.

I want my music to evolve to become more me.

My guitar style was developed during that 10-year period. That's me. That's the way I play, and I don't wish to play any other way. Our own individual identities are firmly stamped on this album.

I actually was a musician in college, a composer and singer, and really intended to be the second coming of Leonard Bernstein when I got out.

I knew that it's typical for a black kid to say, 'I'm just going to rap.' I was like, 'I'm going to rap, but I'm going to study, I'm going to figure out what this is and how to put it together.'

I'ma just rap and do me.

My voice makes the genre because I sound like me on all my songs - I've made my own genre: Jorja Smith.

I think that for every artist, it's very important to have an output and to feel very strongly about the music you're producing.

Doing a song that's sassy but kind of has that little flair to it, it's very me.

Tons of musicians who I love are imprisoned by their identity. That can be totally fine because they are so amazing in their technique, but for me, I'm a little too restless for that.

I can't just sing karaoke; I can't do anything to try to sound like other people. I have to find what I naturally sound like and emphasize that.

I love all music, but when I am on the mountain, I listen to a lot of Nas, Drake, 2 Pac, etc.

For the longest time, I was trying to be DJ Shadow, I think. But I slowly developed my own style. It was trial and error, for sure.

Hip Hop is an idea. It is the pursuit of one's authentic being through the arts. It is not a physical thing; it is an attitude - even an aptitude.

Music should not be a contest, it should be an individual thing that each band is putting out from within themselves.

Strapping Young Lad is a representation of me, just as much as 'Ki,' 'Ghost,' 'Ziltoid' or 'Infinity.' There's no difference; it was just a different period of time.

When all my friends were into punk, I'd be singing versions of soul ballads. I thought, 'Oh my God, I don't want them to know I'm doing this.' But I really enjoyed singing those songs.

I'm in love with artists that are really difficult to cover or to copy. You can only try to copy them, but you will never succeed because it's intertwined with really personal references and really personal ways to exist on stage. They are really strong individuals, and are writing their own songs and know where they want to go.

I don't think I'll ever do a record that's just the same song over and over again because I'd like to think about it like it's an album and a snapshot of everything that makes you who you are and where you're at at that time in your life.

I want people to know that I'm not just another kid M.C. I'm actually a fan of good music and hip-hop.

I never went out to make the music that people would like. I mean, I tried, because every teenager tries to do that. But in my heart, I'd always come from gigs where I played upbeat guitar covers and I'd start writing sad songs on the piano.

I've always known the kind of songs I wanted to sing and play.