The streets respect me because I kept it real with me. You gotta be real with yourself, and the streets recognize game.

In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took responsibility for every part of my life. No more pity parties. I've gotta love me more than anybody else loves me.

Nowadays, with the state of the music business, for any artist, whether you're up-and-coming or you've been in it for awhile, you have to explore different revenues and different ways of expressing yourself.

My responsibility to God is to live. That's the gift he gave me. What I do with it is up to me.

Negative words are powerful boomerangs so be careful what you say about people and yourself.

Cause I'm no better than you, you, or you. And I can't get on no throne and preach, 'cause I'm not God.

...I would be a liar and my fans would hate me if I said to them, 'Oh, we're perfect and everything is great.' We have situations just like everyone else. We're not out in public trying to kill each other, but it's real. We love each other.