I don't care about what brand you are, I'm concerned what type of man you are, what your principles and standards are.

My Umi said shine your light on the world, shine your light for the world to see

If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you know, cursory. That's like standing.

It'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.

But even creeps deserve to live someplace halfway decent.

I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I've been going by Yasiin since '99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I'm declaring it openly.

Why do I need I.D. to get I.D.? If I had I.D. I wouldn't need I.D.