I do secret stand-up shows around New York. I announce and tweet this to nobody - I get onstage and I do a quick five minutes.

My theory is that nine times out of ten, if there's a depression, more a social depression than anything, it brings out the best art in black people. The best example is, Reagan and Bush gave us the best years of hiphop.

My parents were really strict about me not watching cartoons.

I think all of this—The Roots and DJing included—was meant to prepare me for The Tonight Show.

I was born at a very crucial time. I consider 1968 to be the Mason Dixon line between pre- and post-civil rights generation ideas, whereas a lot of people born before '68 they kind of went into that Moses mentality. Like, I'm not going to make it, you know, I don't have any hope.

Classical music requires an immense amount of concentration, and I don't know if I would've been that committed to that particular life.

I really appreciate when people use their fame and their voice for more than just self-promotion, starting a dialogue about a topic or an issue much bigger than themselves.