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As far as my New York influence, one thing I’m proud of in my career is, I rep Brooklyn, New York all day. But people don’t look at my music as New York music. People consider my music underground music.

Talib Kweli

Harry Belafonte hit me to the Dream Defenders and I liked what they were about. When I asked them how I could help their movement, they said, “You can help by coming down here; you can tweet.”
TALIB KWELI

Dream Helping Tweet
What’s more condescending and corny than someone telling you how much more money they have than you and telling you basically, ‘I don’t care about poor people,’ which is a large part of what you hear of corporate hip-hop on the radio.
TALIB KWELI

Care Hip Hop People
If lyrics sold then truth be told/I’d probably be just as rich and famous as Jay-Z.
TALIB KWELI

Lyrics Probably Rich Truth
So I just had to step up how I was doing it and the moment that I stepped up and the moment I focused all my energy on that is when things started to happen. So there’s a direct relationship between my inspiration and my output.
TALIB KWELI

Energy Inspiration Step
But it becomes disrespectful when the artist’s process is not respected.
TALIB KWELI

Artist Disrespectful Process
I remember looking back on a photo of me… wearing a suit that was, like, two sizes too big for me. I think a lot of guys don’t know what fits.
TALIB KWELI

Photo Remember Thinking Two Wear
My kids are the most inspiring thing that pushes me. It used to be because they were born, and I had to take care of them. Now it’s because my son raps, and he’s better than me. So now I gotta keep up with him, you know what I’m saying?
TALIB KWELI

Inspire Kids Rap Son
I think people are into me because of my music choices and my musicality.
TALIB KWELI

Choices People Think
As far as my New York influence, one thing I’m proud of in my career is, I rep Brooklyn, New York all day. But people don’t look at my music as New York music. People consider my music underground music.
TALIB KWELI

Careers Country People
Crunk Feminist Collective, I think, is a noble endeavor, and any group of young women coming together to uplift women, especially being run by women of color, I have no choice but to support that. But they’re dead wrong on me.
TALIB KWELI

Running Thinking Uplifting
Honestly, you have to take care of yourself. That’s probably something I have learned on the road.
TALIB KWELI

Care Honestly Learned
I met Mos Def around that time but I didn’t hook up with him until I was about 17 or 18.
TALIB KWELI

Hook Hook Up Met
The responsibility of an artist is to be honest with themselves.
TALIB KWELI

Artist Honest Responsibility
These niggaz ain’t thugs, the real thugs is the government. Don’t matter if you Independent, Democrat or Republican, Niggaz politickin’ the street, get into beef, Start blastin’…now a new cat is executive chief.
TALIB KWELI

Cat Rap Real
Coltrane had a sax, Dale Earnhardt drives a race car and everybody has their tools.
TALIB KWELI

Car Race Tool
People consider Black Star a great album, and I think it’s a classic album. But the fact is, both me and Mos Def have made better albums since Black Star.
TALIB KWELI

People Star Think

As far as my New York influence, one thing I’m proud of in my career is, I rep Brooklyn, New York all day. But people don’t look at my music as New York music. People consider my music underground music.

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As far as my New York influence, one thing I’m proud of in my career is, I rep Brooklyn, New York all day. But people don’t look at my music as New York music. People consider my music underground music.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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