Itโs one thing to be the greatest; itโs another thing to be necessary. The best are the most necessary: those who take less than they give and love more than they hate.
Mos DefTo me, playing an instrument and singing, all of these different things are just as natural to me as rhyming.
Mos DefIt's possible and available to any artist to be himself or herself on their own terms, to be accepted and embraced by black people. You don't have to be a thug to get love from black people.
Mos DefI learned [playing Chuck Berry] that there's something to be said for the courage of conviction, that sense of belief, being bold enough to believe in your vision. And there's a quote that really fits his particular energy. It says - they say don't go where the path may lead, but go where there's no path and leave a trail. I think that's exactly what Chuck did, you know. It's an inspiration to a lot of folks, not just musicians, but people everywhere.
Mos Def