Hip hop is still strong. As an art form, music helps people express themselves, find meaning in their own lives and connect with their tribes.

If you see yourself reflected in art, you feel validated.

Every piece of music is not for everybody.

Hip hop has evolved, thankfully. Kids are making music that is important to their lives and outlooks.

There are songs and artists now who are trying to do the same thing: be honest to their experiences.

All the songs are pieces to the puzzle. They each represent something different. So it's really difficult to say one song represents the album.

The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard realities but it was done on such a high level, I felt I could point to him as a representative. Someone who put my struggle and my worldview into poetry.