My music is not for everyone. It's only for the stong-willed, the [street] soldiers music. It's not like party music- I mean, you could gig to it, but it's spiritual. My musi is spiritual. It's like Negro spiituals, except for the fact that I'm not saying 'We shall Overcome.' I'm saying that we are overcome.

If you could walk a mile in my shoes you'd be crazy too.

That's what I am, America's nightmare. I am what you made me, the hate and evil that you gave me.

There's gon' be some stuff you gon' see that's gon' make it hard to smile in the future. But through whatever you see, through all the rain and the pain, you gotta keep your sense of humor. You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit. Remember that.

I find any great man, black or white, I'm going to study him, learn him so he can't be great to me no more.

Play the game, never let the game play you.

If God wanted me to be quiet he would’ve never showed me what he does.