The greatest fear people have is that of being themselves. They want to be 50 Cent or someone else. They do what everyone else does even if it doesn’t fit where and who they are. But you get nowhere that way; your energy is weak and no one pays attention to you. You’re running away from the one thing that you own – what makes you different. I lost that fear. And once I felt the power that I had by showing the world I didn’t care about being like other people, I could never go back.

I have the opportunity to do something positive, I want to stay positive. It's hustling backwards in my eyes when I can earn money legitimately. This is what I want to do.

Stay to yourself, just listen. Do more listening than talking. The more you speak the higher the chances you sayin the wrong thing.

I make music cuz it's almost like I can escape everything I was involved in. All I gotta do is make music. I don't do nothin but make music.

I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ.

If I wrote you a love letter, would you write back?

I have received 16 Grammy nominations and I have no trophies, because I chose to write the harsh realities. I stayed true to myself and I've taken a little beating behind it.