“Misery is when you heard on the radio that the neighborhood you live in is a slum but you always thought it was home.”

Life dosent frighten me at all.

I stay cool, and dig all jive, That’s the way I stay alive. My motto, as I live and learn, is Dig and be dug In return.

Love is a naked shadow, On a gnarled and naked tree.

Everything there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on your old soul.

Well, when Christ comes back this time, I hope He comes back mad His own self. I hope He drives the Jim Crowers out of their high places, every living last one of them from Washington to Texas.

Keep your hand on the plow. Hold on.

We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they aren?t it doesn?t matter.

Money and art are far apart.

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed – Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.

Gather up In the arms of your love—Those who expect No love from above.

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.

Everybody should take each other as they are, white, black, Indians, Creole. Then there would be no prejudice, nations would get along.

I wish the rent Was heaven sent.

A dog gets lonesome just like a human. He wants to associate with other dogs, but when they take him out, the poor dog is on a leash and cannot run around.

I am a Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.

I can be the nice family man at home, and then when I go to the gym, maybe sparring with someone, I switch into beast mode. It ain’t pretty.

Silence was his escape, but silence is rarely a refuge.

Petersburg, growing up at home, all by my family and friends, Petersburg really, city-raised me, you know everybody there.

I was hit by a car once on my bike, but I still rode home.

I wanted a house near my family in a quiet neighborhood with a front yard and a backyard that my dog will like.

I’ve always wanted to tell you – all my life how much I wished to have a home with someone who’s always praying for me.

I’m a big bike fan – my homies got Harleys and all kind of choppers – but to be honest I’m scared to ride motorcycles like that.

Lips are kind of like my thing, and I’ve always been obsessed with lipstick and lip liner. I just always went to lip liner to overline my lips, and I feel like I was really known for that. I can’t walk out of my house without my lipstick!