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.

We have to get back to "we." It's important to get back to "we" not just "I."

Reagan's neglect of the inner city is responsible for hiphop. Hiphop is created thanks to the conditions that crack set: easy money but a lot of work, the violence involved, the stories it produced. Crack helped birth hiphop.

When you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life.

In the 2000s, I became an artist. I started preserving and educating. I became more obsessed with making iPod playlists for people.

At the end of the day, I don't release any records that I'm not proud to put my name on. I never got to that point.

My first gig was at Radio City Music Hall when I was 13.