My mother has always been unhappy with what I do. She would rather I do something nicer, like be a bricklayer.

People have this obsession. They want you to be like you were in 1969. They want you to, because otherwise their youth goes with you. It's very selfish, but it's understandable.

I would hate to say as a non-African-American person that it would be wrong for a black person to direct white people in a movie. Wouldn't that be awful of me to say that? The only sympathizing thing I might say for people that want to [grumble] is that a filmmaker should have an understanding for the place where the people you're portraying are coming from.

You have to sing every day so you can build up to being, you know, Amazingly Brilliant

Life's just a cocktail party - on the street.

Well, don't we all feel like jumping to the end of the world sometimes?

All dancing is a replacement for sex.