“I take cabs if I need to get somewhere or I take car service. I don’t drive, I wouldn’t mind riding a bike… People think that because you become an entertainer you gotta have this rock star thug image. I’m an artist, man. I’m going to live like an artist.”

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.

I didn’t want to be a loser, but I didn’t want to fit in at the same time because I don’t like just being ordinary. So it’s one of those situations where I always kept my head up.

With clothes, I like mixing what different designers do until it becomes a personal expression of how I’m feeling that day.

When Big Meech and everybody got indicted, hustling died. Keep it trill.

You wouldn’t take me to be a Skrillex fan, but honestly, when I’m at his shows, I get high and liquored up, and I just go in the crowd and start raving.

I’m getting my respect as a video director. The fashion industry respects me and knows who I am.

So for me, fashion was about standing out as an individual – and it helped me get the attention that most people try to get with publicity stunts or by doing other crazy things. But I just let the attention come to me naturally, and I think some of that has to do with my fashion.

I love ‘Harry Potter’ and JK Rowling – don’t laugh at me!

The worst thing a good girl could do to you is break your heart.

I wanna make music that I feel proud of when I’m onstage, that I feel like I put my all into.

Rihanna is a pothead and so am I, so we’re real cool. Weed is going to bring us together as a generation. Drugs is what created Woodstock. Let’s be clear about that.

I’m a creative guy, artistically with graphics.

Well, predominately, if I’m writing for another artist, I’m sitting there with them and we’re writing it together.

I try not to think retrospectively. It’s important, as an artist, to look forward, always. I do try to take work that involves some challenge. If you approach a piece of work and you’re going, “Yeah, yeah, I can do that,” then that’s kind of a red flag.

You stand your ground and you perform your art. That’s what the artist does. The artist is about perfection.

My mom was real into like a lot of different musical artists, real artists, even back when Jay-Z and Beyonce was together.

I’m really an artist. I really do this. I don’t need the money. It doesn’t matter to me.

No artist that beefs with me or talks down on my name has that many platinum songs. They’re all gold.

One thing that I do want to say is Drake, as an artist, anybody has to respect him. He’s in the game, and he’s been in the game – he has longevity, even if he doesn’t write or writes his music.