“Once you make it to your point of making it, you’ll appreciate the struggle.”

I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style – and that’s what I do.

No matter who you are, black, white, green, there’s going to be things in your way, you know what I mean?

We’re all Africans, everyone – black, white, yellow.

Calling Michelle ‘Obama Barack’s baby mama?’ Tell me, is that acceptable? But the Obamas aren’t the only targets. Fox’s pattern of race-baiting and fear-mongering regularly focuses on black leaders, black institutions and ordinary black people.

I think marriage is a beautiful thing. I’m still a supporter of it.

Even if you make mistakes, I go back to those things, my not-so-great moments because those are my truest moments; those are my human moments. I’m not even mad at the things I said that were a little dicey.

Your look reflects what’s happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you.

When I say ‘hip-hop is dead,’ basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead.

I don’t want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it, man. I’m not perfect, and I’m just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time, you know?

With age comes common sense and wisdom.

Hip-hop lasted and survived all these years that you have to give it credit. Even though it’s not up to people’s expectations anymore, its still here, and that’s says a lot.

I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop… We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say. We’re warriors. Soldiers.

N.Y. hip-hop is ok, but we gotta become brave again; we have to be brave enough and do something new – that’s what New York is about… New.

I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it’s a grind. N.Y. rappers are hustlers – whatever sound is in, we can adapt to that; there’s nothing wrong with that.

I just talk about what’s going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down.

There comes a time when things can work out and everybody can be happy. And that’s what it’s all about in the end – everybody being happy and working it out.

There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of.

Even very young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening him with it much more effective.

Making a film is so hard that if you don’t have your main actors going along with the ride with the rest of the crew it can make your life very difficult.

How many people make themselves abstract to appear profound. The most useful part of abstract terms are the shadows they create to hide a vacuum.

All the passions make us commit faults; love makes us commit the most ridiculous ones.

I’ve had some fantastically good people help me make the movies.

The heart is forever making the head its fool.

If we made atomic bombs, we would bring about a terrible change in the world. Who knows what would happen from this?