Don't believe in role models, but if I do, then I'm mine

Sometimes you come from your community, and then you rise. It's like, okay, when do you get back rooted into your community? A lot of times you can rise in the ranks and maybe leave the core of where you come from.

To be a storyteller is to be able to speak truth, to be able to use your imagination, to use the creative gifts that the Creator has given you.

Not everyone is the same. You can't label a person just because of what they do or what they've done.

I just want people to feel like they can achieve something great in their lives. We all go through rough times, but love is the antidote. You've got to dream and just believe in yourself. And if you believe, you will achieve it.

Whether the people in Haiti, the young kids in Chicago that [are] going through violence, or whether you're in Atlanta or L.A. or Europe - it's not even color barriers for me - I go to where I know there's a lot of turmoil and pain.

One thing I always loved about hip-hop music was the raw, boom-bap element - it felt powerful and manly.