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I came into this music business at 26 years old. I was a fully developed man at that point. At that age, I didn’t have anything to prove.

Jay-Z

My mom always taught me – you know, little boys listen to their moms too much – that whatever you put into something is what you’re going to get out of it.
JAY-Z

Always Boy Go Know Listen Mom Something Taught Whatever
I think that’s what happened to the record business when ‘Napster’ came around. The industry rejected what was happening instead of accepting it as change.
JAY-Z

Accept Business Change Happen Industry Instead Record Reject Think
I remember the first time I saw the ‘Sugarhill Gang’ on Soul Train. I was 11 or 12. I was like, ‘What’s going on? How did those guys get on national TV?’ And then, when I was a little older, a rapper from the neighborhood got a record deal. I was shocked.
JAY-Z

First Gang Remember Show Soul Sugarhill Time Train
When the TV version of Annie came on, I was drawn to it. It was the struggle of this poor kid in this environment and how her life changed. It immediately resonated.
JAY-Z

Change Drawn Environment Kid Life Perosnm Celebrity Poor Show Struggle Televiosnm Version
I don’t know where streaming will go in the future. The analytics that we’re seeing tell us that streaming is the next thing, and downloads are going down.
JAY-Z

Analytics Download Future Know Next Stream Time
As kids we didn’t complain about being poor; we talked about how rich we were going to be and made moves to get the lifestyle we aspired to by any means we could. And as soon as we had a little money, we were eager to show it.
JAY-Z

Aspire Being Complain Going Kid Lifestyle Made Move Poor Rich Talk
I learned to ride a ten-speed when I was 4 or 5. My uncle gave me the bike, hand-me-down, and everyone used to stare at me riding up and down this block. I was too short to reach the pedals, so I put my legs through the V of the frame. I was famous. The little kid who could ride the ten-speed.
JAY-Z

Bike Down Everyone Five Four Hand Learn Ride Speed Stare Ten Uncle Use
Religion is like a personal computer. You let people in if you want to… We’re all gods.
JAY-Z

All Computer God Let People Personal Religion
Belief in oneself and knowing who you are, I mean, that’s the foundation for everything great.
JAY-Z

Belief Everything Foundation Great Know Mean Oneself
Companies that pretend to care about music and really care about other things – whether it be hardware, whether it be advertising – and now they look at music as a loss leader. And we know music isn’t a loss leader; music is an important part of our lives.
JAY-Z

Advertise Care Company Hardware Music Other Pretend Relly Thing
No, I’m not interested in politics. I have zero interest. I have interest in hope and people.
JAY-Z

Hope Interest No People Politics Zero
Rap for me is like making movies, telling stories, and getting the emotions of the songs through in just as deep a way.
JAY-Z

Dep Emotion Get Make Movie Rap Song Story Way
We wasn’t allowed inside the galleries or inside Yankee Stadium. We were writing in the street and making music.
JAY-Z

Allow Gallery Inside Make Music Stadium Street Writing Yankee
I’ve never looked at myself and said that I need to be a certain way to be around a certain sort of people.
JAY-Z

Around Certain Look Myself Need never People Said Sort Way
Excellence is being able to perform at a high level over and over again. You can hit a half-court shot once. That’s just the luck of the draw. If you consistently do it… that’s excellence.
JAY-Z

Again Being Count Excellence Half Hit Once Over Performance Shot
That was the greatest trick in music that people ever pulled off, to convince artists that you can’t be an artist and make money. I think the people that were making the millions said that. It was almost shameful, especially in rock n’ roll.
JAY-Z

Artist Greatest Make Money Music People Pull Trick

I came into this music business at 26 years old. I was a fully developed man at that point. At that age, I didn’t have anything to prove.

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I came into this music business at 26 years old. I was a fully developed man at that point. At that age, I didn’t have anything to prove.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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