In order to be one of the greats, you've got to study the greats.

Soul music has so many great artists who put their thing down. That's important.

You know the things I went through as a youngster, coming into the business, all the good, the bad and the ugly that came. I'd had a rough life. I grew up single parent. My mom, she was like a father to me.

I never been a hater of these other cats, who never really had nothing, being successful. That's not my problem.

When you devote yourself to being an artist, you have to stay on your craft and always try to get better and better.

We was just young guys who wanted to change. We got tired of doin' this same everyday bullshit that we was doin', and we all felt like we had dreams o' bein' a big star. You know, as far as with myself, I never really took it that serious as bein' a star. I only took it that serious as bein' a emcee, which is two different things. You know what I mean?

I consider myself a genius because, when you talk about anything and everything, you a genius to me. It's just about makin' it fire on top o' more fire.