Quotes on Hip Hop

People ask me: ‘What is punk? How do you define punk?' Here's how I define punk: It's a free space. It could be called jazz. It could be called hip-hop. It could be called blues, or rock, or beat. It could be called techno. It's just a new idea. For me, it was punk rock. That was my entrance to this idea of the new ideas being able to be presented in an environment that wasn't being dictated by a profit motive.

..And the same rapper who revels in a woman's finely proportioned behind may also speak against racism and on behalf of the poor, even as he encourages them not to look at hip-hop as their salvation.

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis. Shinin', like "Who on top of this?

The jazz I love is sweet and pure with raw elements, which is exactly what the good hip-hop is doing now.

My first Grammy wasn't even in a jazz category, but of course I was really excited. 'Rockit' was the beginning of kind of a new era for the whole hip-hop movement.

Hip-hop is ever changing but you'll always have the pack. And you'll always have those people who are separated from the pack.

Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.

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.

Hip-hop is not something we do, it's something we live. It's the way we dress, the way we talk... everybody bobbing to the same beat. It's a culture, and you have to find your own place in that culture. Top 10 or Top 40 can't dictate that. They can only dictate what's marketable.

The thing is with hip-hop, it has its waves and the waves crash against the beach and the new waves come in. So to stay relevant you have to roll with that.

Ex-D-boy, used to park my Beamer _x000D_ _x000D_ Now look at me, I can park in my own arena

Take 7 emcees put em in a line_x000D_ _x000D_ And add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme_x000D_ _x000D_ It'll take 7 more before I go for mine_x000D_ _x000D_ And that's 21 emcees ate up at the same time.

Feed me hip-hop and I start tremblin'

Beef is not what Jay said to Nas;_x000D_ _x000D_ Beef is when the working folks can't find jobs.

If I should fall asleep and death takes me away,_x000D_ _x000D_ Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay.

Went from most hated to the Champion God Flow,_x000D_ _x000D_ I guess that's a feelin' only me and LeBron know.

Set me up, wet me up, niggas stuck me up..._x000D_ _x000D_ Heard the guns bust, but you tricks never shut me up.

These niggaz ain't thugs, the real thugs is the government._x000D_ _x000D_ Don't matter if you Independent, Democrat or Republican,_x000D_ _x000D_ Niggaz politickin' the street, get into beef,_x000D_ _x000D_ Start blastin'...now a new cat is executive chief.

Breathe in...inhale vapors from bright stars that shine,_x000D_ _x000D_ Breathe out...weed smoke retrace the skyline.

Some of you been trying to write rhymes for years,_x000D_ _x000D_ But weak ideas irritate my ears._x000D_ _x000D_ Is this the best that you can make?_x000D_ _x000D_ Cause if not, and you got more...I'll wait.

Rappers act so wild, and love to profile,_x000D_ _x000D_ Frontin' hard, but ain't got no style.