People tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests. And it always does. That is one last thing to remember. Writers are always selling somebody out.
Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.
I know how to make a record that commercial radio or Triple J will smash now... It's kind of hard to stay true and write what you would write if you didn't have that in your head. Because I know I can get way more airplay and get this much bigger... and that's what I'm trying to avoid doing. Trying to avoid the poisons of success.
It's not selling out, it is called making lots of money.
Some people will do schlock or anything, just to get their name on it.
I don't know how to sell out. If I tried to sell out I don't think I could.
State Department perverts ... bright young men who were born with silver spoons in their mouths ... selling the Nation out.
Referring to State Department staff:
The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.
I have friends who died being successful bohemians. Today, I see people my age who are gifted but who insisted on staying in this group, and it's beaten them so bad. They have to spend so much time on ego maintenance, they can't get any work done. They'd be very happy to sell out, but there are no buyers, and that hurts.
I've turned down millions of dollars to go on reality TV. It's an absolute no-go.
I know, as an actor, you have to negotiate, but I can't handle the whole idea that art and commerce are synonymous. It drives me nuts.
When Xscape came back together for a tour in 2017, and all of our shows were selling out, it made me miss being on stage and producing music on a regular basis. That's what I did for most of my life.
I don't want to sell my soul to Hollywood - to just make run-of-the-mill stuff.
Lindsey Graham can't lead us in any direction because he traded his moral compass for petty political gain.
All those men have their price.
And what does anyone know about traitors, or why Judas did what he did?
Nothing is more despicable than to reach fame by crawling, position by cringing.
Any artist who goes to Las Vegas is an idiot as far as I am concerned. Whoever goes to Las Vegas can stay in Las Vegas.
He who trades his identity for money will one day wind up with neither.
Politicians are ready to suspend their beliefs or policy positions in the name of electoral success. When belief collides with public opinion, belief often goes.
There are two kinds of artists left: those who endorse Pepsi and those who simply won't.
I pay attention to lyrics and I know what rap fans care about. I try to write for the average listener and I'm conscious of the mainstream without selling out.
Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have literally sold everything they have to sell. They have sold their honesty. They've sold their integrity. They've sold America down the river. They have sold everything in order to amass critical personal wealth.
There's a form of selling out. It's necessary. You have to become edible for people in Texas. You have to become edible for the Christian right, for mass audiences.
I don't really know what 'selling out' is exactly. I would sell out if I could, but nobody's buying it. I would love to go mainstream, but my comedy is too edgy. It's always too dirty. It's always too filthy. I'm dying to sell out. But I love doing comedy, I love touring, and I think I would do everything for free.
