Hip-hop as a culture itself goes through stages. It grows - it's breathing, living. I've noticed that we usually start off conscious, then we wind up very highly sexual, and then we thug it out. Then things get a little funny again, with comedy and that kind of thing.

I think that hip-hop should be spelled with a capital "H," and as one word. It's the name of the culture, and it's the name of the identity and consciousness. I think hip-hop is not a product, but a culture. I think rap is a product, but when hip-hop becomes a product, that's slavery, because you're talking about people's souls.

If we have power to degrade an entire society, then we also have the power to uplift it.

If you're a conscious rap artist and you're worried about Billboard charts, you're gonna have a problem.

It's not about a salary, it's all about reality.

You sleep with a man, that's your husband. So make sure before you lay down, you love him.

Rap is something you do Hip Hop is something you live