“I’m not a gangster, bro.”

I used to be homophobic, but as I got older, I realized that wasn’t the way to do things. I don’t discriminate against anybody for their sexual preference, for their skin color… that’s immature.

A lot of energy and excitement – that’s what a lot of my shows are, energy and excitement.

Who people like is their own business. It don’t concern me. I know what I do – and I’m having a lot of fun with the women that I’m with.

I know that women are smarter than men. I don’t wanna sound like I’m on a bandwagon for chicks but I do love ’em, can’t front. Women are smarter than men. I know I gotta lot of chicks up my sleeve but you guys are twice as good.

You ready? I have gold teeth, I have braids, I’m wearing Rick Owens moon boots, I have rips in my denim, a biker vest, I love artsy girls, my favourite artists are Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. I’m obsessed with being different.

I want to make my own path and leave behind a good legacy for myself and honestly, I just want to be innovative and always down for other people. That’s what I want to be remembered by. I want to inspire.

I thought highly of myself growing up. I still do. There’s not really much somebody can say to me to bring down my confidence or anything.

I treat everybody equal, and so I want to be sure that my listeners and my followers do the same if they’re gonna represent me. And if I’m gonna represent them, then I also want to do it in a good way.

I wanted to model when I was younger.

People don’t make albums any more. It’s always about singles. I wanted to take that old-school approach.

There’s just so much out there and so much inspiration… I just want to be tasteful.

It bring a tear to my eye to see native New York people give me my props because New York is stubborn and arrogant.

I’m not glorifying it at all, I’m just basically telling you that sometimes I have suicidal thoughts. And maybe I should seek help, or maybe it’s not that deep.

When I started, I was 23 years old directing my own music videos; I’m co-producing on my album; I’m hands-on with everything. I’m more than just a pretty boy: I’m an artist. I’m not saying I’m a hip-hop music artist, I’m an artiste.

Why can’t I be friends with somebody who’s gay? Why not? You can miss out on a lot by being so small-minded and stereotypical about people. It’s stupid.

I dress how I feel. I just go off emotion. I can’t prepare my outfit a day before. Everything I wear is spontaneous.

Butch, you come from DeWitt Clinton. There are five thousand brothers in that school.

Music is more of a hobby to me than my hobbies, if that makes sense.

I started to take a keen interest in food when I was 16 years old.

When I was a young teenager my mother always encouraged my brother, my sister and I to get involved in the kitchen.

Mom loved my brother more. Not that she didn’t love me – I felt the wash of her love every day.

I first heard Laura Branigan sing live in my brother Nesuhi’s apartment, where we had gone because he had a very good piano. I immediately realized that she had a great pop voice, in the classical sense.

The Muslim world is deeply hurt by the campaign of violence initiated against our Palestinian brothers.

The Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame will provide a center where the lives and the artistry of the greatest jazz musicians will be celebrated, and where people will come to learn about jazz, something to which my brother devoted his lifes work.