A lot of times people would offer me movies and, because I'm a car freak, I'd look in a magazine and say, 'How much is this car? If you give me this car I'll show up and do the movie' I call 'em 'sports car flicks'.

Before rap came along, I was, actually, actively in the streets; getting in trouble, doing the wrong thing.

I think all music - not just rap - has fallen into this very diluted, delusional state, where everyone's singing about money and having cars, and having all this fun; when really, people are losing their homes.

When you start to really travel and you get to these abstract like places in the world, you would see certain people's names. It seemed like we could go anywhere. Like when we went to Afghanistan, you'd see in the dressing room Run DMC's name. Certain rappers are like journey men.

Rapping is a vocal delivery, so you can do it without being part of hip-hop and not knowing what hip-hop is about.

Who can protect themselves from betrayal? The day your brother wakes up and plans to do you dirty, there's no defense against that.

You can't just sing the song and live another life.