A Tribe Called Quest music was so inclusive, so conscious, it brought such a community together.

When I was a kid, my first favorite song was probably Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."

The thing about New York is you can leave your house without a plan and find the day. You can't do that in Los Angeles. You need to get in your car, all this, you can't just drive around like a lunatic. In New York, you can literally walk outside, and wind up anywhere.

So to compare the Beatles, obviously the Beatles are the Beatles, but in hip-hop terms, Tribe is the Beatles. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are the Beatles. Big Daddy Kane is Jimi Hendrix. It means that much to people that grew up with it.

To be able to play somebody that says and does pretty much whatever he wants is great.

My freestyling ability is nonexistent. I can't even write a verse if I tried to sit anywhere and write one. Being a good rapper is hard to do. I'm a good Rapaport, but that's about it.

I'm identified as a New York actor, I sound like I'm from New York, and I couldn't be more proud of it.