Nas Quotes - Page 8

I lay puzzle as I backtrack to earlier times, Nothing's equivalent to the New York state of mind

People have stopped battling in hip hop, in the primitive sense, and the focus of the competitive element has shifted to the music. It's less about bragging and more about being the best lyrically and poetically.

My first record - it was 1991. I was 16 years old. My first album came out when I was 20. So, I've been here that long and I still have the passion to do it.

America is a melting pot for all different groups of people, historically. And it's rare that the story of all of these people will be told in the history books. So I always felt I had to find out my history for myself and research my roots.

There was a lot of negative that was put on rappers for using the word, and I feel like we're just misunderstood. Most of us are; some of us is just plain wack.

When I try to sound like the contemporary sound, it never turns out that way. That's just me.

On the reals, all these crab niggaz know the deal, When we start the revolution, all they'll probably do is squeal.

I live in L.A. because my kids do. Home is where my kids are for me.

I think you gotta always do things that keep you excited in an [rap music] industry that's so bullshit. When you know that you have so much energy and so much to give, it would be a shame if the facilitators of that aren't enthusiastic about you doing it, because you've been doing it for so long. So you just gotta figure out ways in this insane business to keep it fresh.

Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe.

People afraid of criticism but I always put myself in a sacrificial position,they been know I ain't just rappin for fame

No matter where you're from - you can be Native American, Italian, Jewish, Latino, African-American - whatever you are, we're all distant relatives.

I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say. We're warriors. Soldiers.

Hip hop started in NY so it's important that New Yorkers realise that to talk about NY music and its sound should not be a small-minded conversation. Music is supposed to evolve. It's supposed to be going through changes, it's not supposed to sound exactly the same as what it did when it started. NY hip hop has to be allowed to move on and grow and expand.

Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them.

Hip-hop is bigger than the South, hip-hop is bigger than New York.

I don't kill soloists only kill squads

I had been through, of course, the divorce and I had been hit with some taxes that really showed me to be careful who's working with you and your money, and you have to be the one that is responsible for your money - you can't trust anyone and I did and I ran into a problem.

So many affluent men are faced with finding love problems. I'm sure beautiful, affluent women are faced with the same things sometimes.

Today, with the media, the internet, things get out there about anybody, anytime, so there's nothing wrong about talking about your life, because someone else is going to talk about it and mess it up.

The big stars in rap, they were too big, so when my rap generation started, it was about bringing you inside my apartment. It wasn't about being a rap star; it was about anything other than.

Jamaican music can be aggressive, soulful, smooth and exciting all at once - just like hip-hop. At the same time, there's nothing like Jamaica in the United States. Jamaica is its own thing.

I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat.

I used to carry a notebook to the studio. I don't do that no more 'cause I don't have the time to write anywhere but right there in the studio on the spot. So when you hear my stuff, know that I wrote it in the studio.

Big up to Flex. Stop taking so much cizock in his mizouth.