When new artists come out and they're not being cosigned or some company doesn't have a stake in it, or someone's not getting paid under the table to produce the whole record or bring it to video, the artist really suffers.

You have to understand the vehicle, the form that allows you to do what you do, and why that is.

There are situations where I'm uncomfortable saying, "I'm a hip-hop artist." In some circles, the response is like, "Oh, OK, so... you have whores and your ties are shiny?"

You feel pressured to do what you think the public wants, when in actuality the sales aren't reflecting what the radio is doing. Not in the least bit!

Kids don't even realize what they're up against.

Man, I would demand that artist come to the table with better variety. I would demand that musicians know music history, not just Hip-Hop, so that we could understand. The better your 'listening ear' is, the better your music will be.

Radio makes it appear like you can get some sounds in a laptop and be the next dude. Those careers don't really last.