Zitat des Tages von Nas:
When you're a teenager, you want to meet a lot of girls - you want to get the most girls. You don't know anything about respect; you don't know anything about being faithful and loyal to your girlfriend.
The things that I have said when I was young and curious about whatever the subject matter was, I respect those - those are growing pains. 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.
With age comes common sense and wisdom.
No matter who you are, black, white, green, there's going to be things in your way, you know what I mean?
To me, creatively challenging myself is my version of owning the Nets.
Whenever I received too much praise, it just didn't feel right to me - ever.
I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life was.
I think the fact that I made enough noise in the world that I might be remembered is an amazing achievement. You can't ask for more than that.
Once you make it to your point of making it, you'll appreciate the struggle.
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 think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still blessed with the opportunity to make music and pass out a message like, 'Life is good,' to the world.
I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rhythm of it and the words start to come to my mind and those words could be based on things that's been on my mind for the past year, the past month, the past week, whatever; I write it.
I can't control what people think. They know who I am.
Working with great people makes you great; you learn a lot and it also gives you the experience and confidence to move on with your own career.
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'm just little me, an American who wants to see his country do better.
Hip-hop is bigger than the South; hip-hop is bigger than New York.
Some people say I'm conscious, some say I'm a gangsta rapper - it's just me doing me. I'm stomping in my own lane. I'm doing what I do.
You know, rap is sort of like a form of talking, right? So it's like you can hear, you know, the slaves doing it. You can hear, like, you know, Africans and Jamaicans doing it just kind of as, like, a rhythmic, poetic conversation, you know, to a rhythm.
Hip-hop artists, especially the older ones, are the ones who knew hip-hop was a worldwide phenomenon before the mainstream caught on, so hip-hop artists are forward thinkers. We want to stay with the new.
I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.
My record company had to beg me to stop filmin' music videos in the projects. No matter what the song was about, I had 'em out there.
Hip-hop is really standoffish. It's really competitive and it's really about who's number one all the time. Sometimes it gets out of hand.
Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.
Divorce can be crazy. Man, if you're happy... Love is a beast, man. Hold on. Be prepared for any way it may go, and be honest.
You can't please everybody. You'd be crazy if you're trying to. So take some time out to do some things for yourself.
All fatherhood is very important because single mothers shouldn't have to raise sons or daughters; they need that help.
Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them.
My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.
When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead.
'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.
Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you know what I mean? I just talk about what's going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down.
The flaws, the mistakes I make - that's the real me.
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.
Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.
GaGa is one of my favourites. Her voice is incredible and she's fearless and she's ahead of the game. She's ahead of the entire game, and I admire that.
