Chuck D Quotes

Try to find like-minded people. Don't choose your friends based on the outside, choose your friends based on your similar views or something that you can learn from.

I let go usually by talking to many people in different areas, in different realms of life that make me look at what I'm dealing with as being small fries stuff, you know?

The biggest thing that has happened to hip-hop is the clinging on to the corporation as the all-mighty hub of the music.

I'm not a U.S. citizen. I mean, I'm an earth-izen. Borderline policies are crap to me.

My work throughout my life is always representative of the time we live in. It's all about keeping it in order and keeping it in gear.

Most artists are always fighting for their fame. They have that fear, like the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." They need to keep themselves out there. I have never had that fear. If I have any fear, it's not doing enough to reach people.

I tell each artist they have to grow toward a revenue stream.

I would like to say is that to be truly American and represent American ideals you need to consider yourself a citizen of the world. American policy has gone contrary to that ideal. The Bush Administration is bent on making the world submit to "Americanism" instead of becoming a member of the world community. This orchestration comes from the very top of the Administration and has pushed America into a corner. So, rather than trying to humbly mix with the rest of the world, we are forcing ourselves upon it. We seem to create conflicts with everyone.

I have to be conscious of what I'm sayin' because people are gonna come at me about this sh*t.

I think hip hop should be a living word. And what I mean by the living word is like yo, you gotta have the words that provide life.

I know I am judged unfairly by my physical characteristics and ostracized because of that so I say, "Yes, I'm a black man."

Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and when people start getting it confused, that means they need to sit down with some real people.

When you travel the world, you have to watch and you have to listen. We're not going to come in to Ireland without an understanding that there's a history that's very sensitive.

It's not about what you get out but what you put into hip hop as a genre.

As black people we were out to further our equality. I don't pay attention to the controversial connotations put on by media and the undermining labels they place on us. We pay attention to what our community situation is and what we need.

My mother went to university, my father didn't. But they are very educated, very wise people. My father went to the military, so he's worldly.

A lot of the post-1977 dancefloor disco sounds had their place at one time, but you can't bring them back unless you bring back a floor.

Ever since I was a teenager, I was always kind of, like, checking myself. You know, like, "Come on man, don't get your head all swollen. Life and time itself will give you perspective on what you're doing." So, that's actually what's always been a reminder in my own head.

If you want to be an artist, truly try to write what you believe, and if you write when you don't believe then you should try to become an actor.

I like to drive and I like to travel. When I drive on the open road, it's like sometimes the car turns into a pen and the road is a piece of paper.