Artist Image Quotes

B.G. was just like his lyrics.

I feel like 'Work' was a really good song for people to get to know me, as it's obviously biographical. With 'Bounce,' I wanted to make sure people know there's a fun side to me as well as the somber and serious one.

Leonard Cohen kept his Jew name. He's so cool. It's too bad he died.

A new artist today has to get their teeth fixed, has to tighten their jeans up, and they have to get 'em the right kind of hat, and if anything's wrong with their nose, if it's a little crooked, it's got to be straightened up.

I can't help what people write or think. If somebody thinks I'm a serious archivist, they're wrong. That's been a problem. It's a shame people take that attitude, because it affects how they listen to the music. It's a big mistake to treat any pop music that way.

Back in the day, artists could be mysterious. Now, people want to know and hear everything about you. They want to see and feel the mess that is life - and who are bigger messes than artists?

I hate album covers where people are just smiling so big. It's like a neon sign that says PLEASE COME BUY ME.

Blake Lively is my style icon, and she always has rocking clothes and shoes. She keeps it really simple with hair and makeup, and I try to do the same thing. Onstage, I do a little smokier, a little more contouring, but I still always want to be an approachable and real artist, so I never try to go overboard.

I don't think I'm good, I don't think I'm a good rapper. I think a lot of people always want me to battle somebody and stuff like that which is cool, but I don't see myself as a rapper.

The swimsuit and jeans look is my favorite. It was a big part of my introduction to the world as an artist. It was so cool to see girls wearing swimsuits with their jeans during that time.

My thing is to get people out of the stigma of what a reggae artist should be like.

You don't want R&B singers to get into beef. Leave that to the rappers, let them do that - R&B, be classy.

I did not break up the Beatles. You can't have it both ways. If you're going to blame me for breaking the Beatles up, you should be thankful that I made them into myth rather than a crumbling group.

Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave know best. Although I wear a lot of jeans, I've been told that Nick Cave doesn't own a pair and wouldn't be caught dead in denim.

So many kids meet me and they get disappointed. They ask me to wear shades and behave in the way I do in my songs. Then I have to explain it to them that I am like this in real life, more composed, chilled out and cool.

I think people who just know me from my band think I don't like pop music. The truth is I love pop music.

I've never heard a man in a suit tell me what to wear; that's not their forte. You hire your stylist; whatever someone's image is as an artist is what they've chosen to portray.

I want people to understand me as a person with views, not just performing songs.

Compared to a lot of artists, I'm usually quite covered up in videos and photo shoots.

I always make this joke that I know you were expecting to see the big skirts and the hoops. But that was a long time ago. Artists aren't always seen as real people. If you start out as a teenager, sometimes people want to keep you locked as that. But I'm a woman now.

The way I work, I'm not a confessional singer-songwriter.

Engaging with the audience lets them know I'm approachable. I don't like that whole, 'You can't talk to Sheila E thing' - I don't like that.

People think artists like 50 Cent don't have charisma, but it's just a different kind of charisma, a bully charisma, which is kinda frowned upon.

For me, style is something that I've always loved. It's more than just, "Oh I make this type of music, so I should dress this type of way." But it's very important. On the other hand, if I was on stage in a hoodie and some baggy jeans, it wouldn't give off the same feeling. People appreciate the music, but people want to see the whole visual thing.

I think swag is very important to rappers. It's the overall appearance and style of an artist - these blue shorts and this blue hat and this $80,000 chain, this jewelry and all these tattoos, that's swag.