I compose my pieces with a formula that I created myself.

The majority of juice-heads and winos and junkies arent musicians.

I say, play your own way. Don't play what the public want - you play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doing - even if it does take them fifteen, twenty years.

When I was a kid, some of the guys would try to get me to hate white people for what they've been doing to Negroes, and for a while I tried real hard. But every time I got to hating them, some white guy would come along and mess the whole thing up.

Those who want to know what sound goes into my music should come to NY and open their ears.

I always believed in being myself.

A genius is the one most like himself.