I had no idea how much the stuff I was doing was affecting people outside Oakland. At the time, also, hip hop wasn't able to tour because all these clubs that let hip hop come in now, they would never have let hip hop come in.

A lot of us don’t get a sense of our personal power. I know the vast difference that one person can make in changing things.

I lived in Detroit until I was six. My older sister was living with us, and she listened to the Ohio Players and Stevie Wonder, so I grew up listening to stuff like that.

I've been involved in a lot of different kinds of projects. I've been on straight hip hop tours. I've been on underground rock tours. I've been on multimillion selling rock shows. I've been in the jam band thing, and both commercial and underground hip hop. Very few people listen to one kind of music.

I think there's something your hormones do that makes a chemical change in the way you think.

I just make music based on what I believe.

I wanted to be part of changing the world. I don't want to just stand by and watch it be however it is.