You don't wanna mess up what you've done. It's like Jordan coming back: You're scared to mess up the legacy.

The police don't look at you as long when they drive past. Sometimes they don't look at you at all. In South Central, you've got them looking and lurking. I think it's basic harassment. It's part of their tactics to have everybody nervous of them. In the valley, at least I don't feel it the same way.

I think everybody likes a person that stands up for themselves. Nobody likes a punk or a coward.

I like Obama, but I understand that his hands are tied, the way Congress is reacting. It's just partisan politics everywhere, and don't know how we going to get things done in the future without compromising a little bit.

Do I gotta go sell me a whole lotta crack for decent shelter and clothes on my back?

Well, for the transition from rapper to actor, I was fortunate that director John Singleton pursued me for about two years to be in Boyz 'N the Hood. I really wasn't even thinking about acting at the time, since I was singularly focused on being the best rapper in the world. So, that was really a blessing, because I wasn't really taking him seriously.

No matter what part of the country you come from, you can always come together to make groundbreaking hip-hop.