The burden of poverty isn't just that you don't always have the things you need, it's the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you'd do anything to lift that burden.

Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing.

Ain't nothin' wrong with the aim, just gotta change the target.

Hip-hop gave a generation a common ground that didn't require either race to lose anything; everyone gained.

Racism is taught in the home. We agree on that? Well, it's very hard to teach racism to a teenager who's listening to rap music and who idolizes, say, Snoop Dogg. It's hard to say, 'That guy is less than you.' The kid is like, 'I like that guy, he's cool. How is he less than me?

I got mouths to feed til they put flowers on me.

Whoever said that artists shouldn't pay attention to their business was probably someone w/their hand in some artist's pocket.