I'm giving my fans the songs that they want to hear from me. Why do we love to hear ourselves being downgraded. Why do we love to hear the negative situations that we see in our lives daily? I'm not trying to make sense of it, I'm not giving any solutions, I'm just tossing the question.

We get better product when the focus is on the fans and the artists - all artists; musical artists; singers, the graphic designers, the painters, the DJs, I mean everybody, the writers. We can't allow ourselves to feel as if we're not important in the equation when we are everything!

My passion comes from the things that have historically happened to black people in Mississippi. I can honestly say that most of the things that I've accomplished in my life have come from my spirituality and my belief in God.

My concern was first, for the black people of Mississippi, then I became concerned for black people nationwide, now my concern is for black people all over the world. I began to realize that it's not as much about race as we think it is. It's about the rich vs. the poor. I feel as if the different races are pitted against one another so we won't see the bigger (financial disparity) problem.

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 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.

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.