[Big K.R.I.T] is a person who wants to make sure that the music is here for the kids when our time passes. He's a respectful and respected man. He has a level of respect for me, and I definitely have a level of respect for him.

I'm proud of [Big] K.R.I.T., I'm proud that the person that came after me shares so many similar views [as mine]. From him being a producer, to him being a God-fearing man - being political in a sense that he wants to see the poverty-stricken do better. He wants to be the spokesperson for them.

We can't keep begging or expecting people to give us an opportunity to make a movie or to represent our culture in the right way. They're not from or neighborhoods and communities so of course they can't truly relate to our experience. It's our responsibility to properly protect our people and to properly give them opportunities for employment.

Faith allows me to feel that as long as I'm in line with God everything will be O.K. and that I'll make it through whatever.

We have to be very clear about what we're doing to our music. We're giving away free albums. Now think about the psyche of the ordinary man, we don't respect anything that's free. Anything that we get easy has no validity.

We're trying to teach artists that if you're smart enough to develop the material, then you're smart enough to market and promote the album too.

Of course the concept is to give people samples to get them hooked, I get that. But to continuously give away our music, that's the reason why you don't see [many] rap award shows anymore, the reason that you don't see rappers in commercials anymore; because we have allowed our music to be devalued.