I think we - the way to stop anything violent or anything wrong is by really just paying attention to your own circle. You only can help the world by helping the people next to you.
Nas always been my favorite rapper, but 50 Cent, he changed my way of thinking about music 'cause he was so detailed in his music, I knew that wasn't lying. I never felt Tupac that way; I never felt Biggie that way. I love Nas music, but I never felt and believed like, 'This is for real.' 'Cause I grew up that gangsta lifestyle.
'Habits & Contradictions' is the prequel to 'Setbacks.' I had all these titles already in my head before I even dropped 'em. Like 'Setbacks,' I knew that was gone be the first one; I knew 'Habits & Contradictions.' I knew 'Oxymoron.' I got two more albums that I already have the title to it, and I know how I'ma play the theme off of it.
I think that's what most of us rappers do too often. We put too much information in some of our albums that could actually be on the next ones.
I would ditch school if my CD was scratched up or I couldn't get batteries. I wasn't trying to get on the bus and not be listening to music.
People look at me and keep walking - but you can tell they know who I am. I want them to bug me. It's gonna be a sad day when they don't.
The L.A. rap scene is popping again because rappers stopped saying 'West Coast.' Nobody says that anymore. Fans of L.A. music were reaching and saying, 'This is West Coast music,' because nobody else liked it.
You've got to be like a fan at your show, just wild out. I make eye contact. I get in the crowd and kick it with 'em, stage dive, mosh. I make 'em laugh. I go out there and turn up, have fun. There's no set list; I don't have rehearsals.
I'm a real stubborn person. I'm still humble, not too cocky, but I'm big headed. I know what I wanna do and I know how I wanna do it and I know what needs to be done.Collection: Real
We're living or dying. We're already dead, the living dead. So do what you gotta do. Take care of your family, of yourself as a whole, and everything will be alright.Collection: Dying
I got a Lucifer soul. I'll be the Devil's son, Devil's work, gettin' work.Collection: Son
I didn't spend money on nothin'. Besides my daughter, bucket hats, and weed.Collection: Daughter
People look at me and keep walking - but you can tell they know who I am. I want them to bug me. Its gonna be a sad day when they dont.Collection: Who I Am
I smoke weed.It's not an addiction. It's something I wanna do. It's not smart though. It's not good for my body but I'm doing it. I'm not telling people to do it.Collection: Weed
People saying that you been robbed is almost better than winning a Grammy.Collection: Winning
Charisma, that's my strong point. My personality was always good, but with music I had to grow into it. I grew into who I am now.Collection: Strong
I couldn't sell pills no more [because my] homie went to jail. I was just dirt broke. I went to TDE and was literally living in the studio where you record. I went damn near a whole two years not getting sleep because there was always somebody there recording. I was taking baths with dishwashing liquid.I was one of the dudes [who] would never ask for nothing so I would never ask for soap.Collection: Sleep
The only person that seen something in me was Punch, and probably Ab-Soul. Ab-Soul and Punch was the two niggas that was like "Yeah, Q gon be one of them niggas. Watch." I don't know how they knew but they knew.Collection: Two
The streets helps you a lot in music, cause it let's you know that you can't trust nobody and that nobody's gonna wait for you. You can't just sit there with dope in your pocket and think that people are gonna come to you. You gotta put the product out there.Collection: Dope
If I was with some other rappers who aren't as polished, or I was the only rapper, I don't think I would be where I'm, nor would I be rapping. They pushed me, we pushed each other on every record.Collection: Rap
All these niggas that have good music have longevity.Collection: Longevity
I never wanna have a time where I'm on the big lawn just sitting back smoking cigars and drinking lemonade. I wanna work forever. Until I die. I wanna die on the way to a show.Collection: Drinking
I remember listening to Sugar Free and Jay Z and I never really understood some of the stuff they used to say until years later. Then you hear it again like, Damn that's crazy. I just got what he's talking about.Collection: Crazy
I was a little too antsy, I was jumping around, wanting to go here, wanting to be there. Once I started smoking weed, I just wanted to stay and play the video game and rap. You spend good time with your daughter, man, after you go smoke, chill with your daughter. You're willing to do whatever she want to do.Collection: Daughter
I'm not the 'rappity-rapper' type dude. All my music is really true. I can't just rap about nothing, just metaphors and putting words together. I can't just smash out material like other guys. I just want my albums to be crazy every time I drop one.Collection: Crazy
I let my music do the talking. Ain't no TV show gonna help me. Ain't no hit single gon help me sell no records.Collection: Talking
I hate the business part of music. Music is just like the streets. There's loyal and disloyal people, people saying one thing and then don't do it.Collection: Hate
I think, sometimes, artists release music too fast. If you just sit back and listen to the track for a little bit you could pick and choose how you want to do it and see if you really feel the song, because sometimes you might not even like the song after a few listens.Collection: Song
A song can be a song where somebody thinks you're crazy. A song that gets released has got to be something that everyone can relate to. Most of the songs that I keep are un-relateable for most people - some of the music I make only for myself and the homies.Collection: Song
I'm a performer. That's what I do. That and making money - it's the passion and the care factor for the people that support your passion, the people that support you, it's the kind of people that go crazy and love your stuff.Collection: Crazy
When you become an artist you're working away from home for so much time. You really see what the use of time means to you once you're an artist and you travel so much.Collection: Home
I think thats what most of us rappers do too often. We put too much information in some of our albums that could actually be on the next ones.Collection: Thinking
I'm one dude that writes his adlibs. I don't just go in there and say "Gimme a track." I say what I'ma say here [then] I put effects on my voice. Why not? I wrote it. Why not show the talent? Why be scared? That's why I hate certain fans who hate cause it's not like raw hip-hop, like boom bap.Collection: Hate
One thing I'm big on is believing in giving an album time. I'll say you'll have to give an album three years before you can call it a classic. If you can't listen to it three years later then it's not really a classic.Collection: Believe
I would definitely want a hit record, but I still want the success to be around the album. Only the music can help me.Collection: Albums
Lean gives you such stomach pain. I'll never forget the time I was at South by Southwest and had to do all these shows, and I sitting on the couch curled up, hours of pain...That wasn't the moment I quit, that was the moment when I said I need more.Collection: Pain
I'm not anti single. I'm not one of them niggas that say "Aww record sales ain't everything." No. I wanna sell good. I would love a platinum record on radio and charts.Collection: Records
I would ditch school if my CD was scratched up or I couldnt get batteries. I wasnt trying to get on the bus and not be listening to music.Collection: School
You already past 21 and you still talking about "I'ma be a rapper." You ain't did one show, niggas ain't seen you on TV. So Kendrick kind of went through the same thing I went through. He just had his mom's house to go to.Collection: Mom