Hip-hop saved me. It gave me permission to use language in a certain way. It validated my community and my friends. It gave our slang a certain elegance.
I always paid attention to Lil Wayne - close attention. He's my idol. He's still my idol.
N.W.A were the audio-documentarians of their time. They were trying to shock people with the violence of their language and the subjects they were talking about. The fact that they dressed in guerilla outfits like the Black Panthers made them shocking by their appearance as well.
It's not about a salary, it's all about reality.
Rhyme is cool again. It's because of hip-hop. Bless you, hip-hop.
I appreciate Drake's music, I appreciate Future's music, I appreciate Lil Durk's music. I appreciate Uzi, Meek Mill, I appreciate Migos.
Kendrick Lamar is the real deal. He's a real artist, and he's gonna be here for awhile because this guy is seriously talented.
I would do a documentary about Jay-Z. Yes, I would.
I have been skeptical, sometimes, about the importance of rap music, which I think is a capitalistic project to make money.
B.G. was just like his lyrics.
The 808 kick drum makes the girlies get dumb, We're rollin' Rainier, and the jealous wanna get some. Every time we do the sucka MC's wanna battle, I'm the man they love to hate, the J.R. Ewing of Seattle.
Since I was a kid, I was listening to hip-hop.
I get a craving like I fiend for nicotine. But I don't need a cigarette, know what I mean?
Lyrics over some nice beats - that's what the people want from us.
I would say that I'm more moved by melody, even though I love to rap.
I'm pretty sure JAY Z don't wanna rap right now.
I've always been funny, but I never considered it as a particular career path until my early 30s, when I realized that hip-hop wasn't going to be the long term.
When I think of influential females in hip-hop, my mind goes to Foxy Brown, hands down.
I'm the greatest game-spitter of all time. I talk about the swell, the block, the 'hood. I'm a street commentator. I narrate how people live. That's E-40.
Rza just used the whole synopsis of the karate flick and capitalised offa that around this music. Some things you find out and you compare to yourself, and you're like, 'Wow, it has so much comparison to it', you start to live like that. And that's what happened - we started callin' ourselves Wu-Tang.
I can't give up. It's a rap thang. And I ain't goin back to the crack game.
The rap game without me would be like woofers without bass.
People told me that Miley's '23' wasn't hip-hop. Let me tell you, she went in and owned that track.
Those folks at Death Row were the Rolling Stones of their time.
I was heavily influenced by big voices when I was younger. People like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti Labelle really spoke to me. When I got older, I was into Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and Lauryn Hill, but it wasn't until I started working with a voice coach that I really dove into jazz music.
