Hip-hop has always been chronologically misunderstood. Too many times, people are hearing the story from the second floor. Nobody's heard the story from the basement. If hip-hop was a cake, all I can tell you is the eggs, the flour, the sugar, the vanilla - the ingredient years.

A lot of journalists say, "Tell us about the '80s." Nobody wants to know about the '70s!

That diversity of production styles and diversity of lyrical structure - I miss that.

Too many times, people are hearing the story from the second floor. Nobody's heard the story from the basement.

I was reckless with records. I would pull them out by my fingertips. I would put my hands all over them.

I needed to be able to hear the mix before you do - that's when I came up with the "peek-a-boo" system.

Hip-hop has always been chronologically misunderstood. Too many times, people are hearing the story from the second floor. Nobody's heard the story from the basement. If hip-hop was a cake, all I can tell you is the eggs, the flour, the sugar, the vanilla - the ingredient years.