Zitat des Tages von Mos Def:
You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions.
Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years it's a name that the streets taught me a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment and I feel I've done quite a bit with that name and it's time to expand and move on.
What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets of words - that's magical.
All the things that are worth doing, take time.
I get reminded a lot of the time that my life is a little bit different, but I'm just trying to keep it as regular as possible because I like it that way.
I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice.
I'm inspired by playwrights, novelists, poets: The value of language has been a lifelong passion of mine. I enjoy it. I'm good at it.
There are a lot of people who call themselves teachers or leaders, but they're really just propagandists.
And remember don't high post when you're far from home, and high posting when you're all alone.
I don't want to waste anyone's time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift.
I don't mind being black. I'm black out loud. It's more than the people that they are, it's the condition that they represent.
Focused. I'm a hustler. And my hustle is trying to figure out the best ways to do what I like without having to do much else.
Everything's got space between it, the planets, trees, your eyes. Your eyes get too close together, it's a whole different world. You can lose perspective.
I was taught when there's somethin' you can change around keep quiet, you got nothin' to complain about.
I come from a family of very devout, praying people. That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn't be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind.
I have mad brims.
I'm an independent thinker. And I'm not the poster child for any movement. I'm trying to support whatever's right no matter where it is.
You want to know how to rhyme, then learn how to add. It's mathematics.
I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it.
I don't rap like nobody, I don't try to sound like nobody.
Good art provides people with a vocabulary about things they can't articulate.
That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn't be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind.
I have no confidence issues with the impact or the quality of the music. No one in hip-hop, before this point and to this point, with all due respect, has done this.
I'm growing as an individual, but your always growing. All of my albums are snapshots of where I am artistically.
That's what I've been trying to strive for - to draw a clear picture, to open up a new dimension.
I'm trying to get low. People's personalities can get in the way of their own work.
I'm retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I'm actually doing it.
I'm a passionate person. I'm a lot of things, like most people are. Most people are dynamic. The focus is not on me though, I'm a screen. The aim is to always keep myself in the position where the screen is clear.
I can't control what people think. I'm not trying to manipulate people's thoughts or sentiments. I write all the time. You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions. It's machine-like how things are run now in hip-hop, and my ambitions are different.
I just don't think it's very dignified to ask people to like you. You can just wind up being somebody's ottoman.
It's possible and available to any artist to be himself or herself on their own terms, to be accepted and embraced by black people. You don't have to be a thug to get love from black people.
If 'Life in Marvelous Times' can't get on the radio, then I don't need to be on the radio.
I'm not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that's a buzz kill. There's got to be a better code of conduct, some basic etiquette.
African art is functional, it serves a purpose. It's not a dormant. It's not a means to collect the largest cheering section. It should be healing, a source a joy. Spreading positive vibrations.
I guess something that you love to do, you gotta ease up off it and give it a little space, come back and be fresh to it.
I've been fortunate with my acting career. A lot of scripts come to me. I don't mind auditioning if something that requires that, but I haven't had to in awhile, which is a nice place to be 'cause I've been on quite a lot of auditions in my life.
