I wear anything of culture, from the Earth or beyond. The whole planet is my shop.
Interpretation
This quote expresses openness to cultural influences and the interconnectedness of the world.
Afrika Bambaataa's quote highlights the idea that culture is not confined to geographical boundaries but is a collective treasure that belongs to everyone. By stating that the planet is his shop, he emphasizes the abundance of artistic and cultural expressions derived from both our planet and beyond, celebrating diversity and the value of shared human experiences.
In practice
In a speech about cultural appreciation, one might say this quote to emphasize the value of diversity.
Everybody needs to show respect to each others' ways and the cultural life that you get on this planet. Don't get caught up on 'I'm brown, black, white, red, blue, whatever.' You gotta ask, what were you called before 1492? All these names we're using now are just an illusion made to keep us fighting each other.
I'd like to see people pay attention to the science of hip hop. The knowledge part, the political side of what hip hop could do, or where hip hop is gonna go. I always say it's gonna become universal as we become a galactic union.
How you act, walk, look and talk is all part of Hip Hop culture. And the music is colorless. Hip Hop music is made from Black, brown, yellow, red and white.
A lot of times, when people say hip-hop, they don't know what they're talking about. They just think of the rappers. When you talk about hip-hop, you're talking about the whole culture and movement. You have to take the whole culture for what it is.
We also want to try and slow down all this foolishness that's going on between the East and West. We gotta understand that Hip Hop is now universal. Hip Hop is not East coast or West coast.
The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.
There's nothing prettier in the world than a melody. I can get lost in a song with a melody. A lot of times I have, and the song wasn't that good, but I would get lost in that melody, and I'd want to do the song.
We all need poetry. The moments in our lives that are characterized by language that has to do with necessity or the market, or just, you know, things that take us away from the big questions that we have, those are the things that I think urge us to think about what a poem can offer.
The job of a storyteller is to speak the truth. But what we feel most deeply canβt be spoken in words alone. At this level, only images connect. And here, story becomes symbol; symbol is myth. And myth is truth.
I want a painting to be difficult to do. The more obstacles, obstructions, problems - if they don't overwhelm - the better. I would like to feel that I am involved at any stage of the painting with all its moments, not just this 'now' moment where a superficial grace is so available.
I've wanted to design golf courses ever since I was a kid. I suppose it comes from the way I've played the game. To find the proper way to play any hole, I've always begun by asking myself what the architect has tried to do with it.
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