As a young artist, especially in rap and at that time that I came out, originality was big.

Back in the day, rappers were 'bump bump bump ba bump ba bump.' They was rhyming like that, but I was like, 'bababa bump bump babum ba babump bababa bump.'

People always tell me that they grew up with me - like I'm their brother or uncle or some other family member. That keeps me going.

My aunt Ruth Brown was a jazz musician. I got hooked on it at a young age, understanding what John Coltrane was doing playing two notes on the saxophone at the same time, which is impossible.

Sometimes you can't forgive, but you try to forget.

I was an underground artist, but the underground status was successful. Coming from where I came from to see where rap is now, now artists are selling from a million to eight million copies.

You come up, you love music, and then business interferes.

The truth never wears out.

I'm a fan of Jay-Z, from the negotiating table to the booth.

When me and Eric did songs back in the day, we didn't go and sit down in front of no A&R. We made our album, and then, when we finished, we handed it in, and then we picked the best song for the first single.

Social media gives a lot of people a platform where they can express their feelings. I like to do mine through songs. I let info build up. In some way, it translates into paper whenever I sit down.

I'm not a mainstream artist. But I've seen my kids being born; I've seen them take their first steps, I've seen them grow up and start school. That's worth more to me than any umpteen million dollars.

I'm not in that state of mind that I was back in '86 - hip-hop is not in that state of mind that it was back in '86. Times change. I change.

I've always tried to insert consciousness and spirituality in my records, interpreting the writings of all cultures and religions and how they apply to life in modern times.

My approach to writing rhymes went hand in hand with the music. I'd try to make different rhythms with my rhymes on the track by tripping up patterns, using multi-syllable words, different syncopations. I'd try to be like a different instrument.

As I grew up, a lot of the music was made to uplift the spirit.

The laws are gonna have to change. And it's 2016. We can't keep using all the laws that was made back in the 1700s. We're gonna have to understand that times have changed.

I try to stay true to my style, and I understand the foundation of my style and where it came from. But at the same time, you take that experience and learn different ways to write, different ways to turn on that creative energy.

I can't look at TV without seeing something that's been influenced by rap. Even commercials for cereal. When I was small, I was a fan of cartoon characters - now the cartoon characters are rapping!

Age don't count in the booth.

I got a lot of vinyl, a lot of music in general in the house.

Playing the sax and then enjoying jazz music, man - it's like I learned how to find words inside of the beat.

I try to make my flow sound like a John Coltrane solo.

Subconsciously, Islam took over me, so it was like eighty or ninety percent of the fabric of the person I was.

We need a few more Kanyes, people that's really passionate about hip-hop and who keep it alive.

To me, sometimes things outside of rap inspire me to rap.

You know, 'Paid in Full' is a classic album, man. It kind of got me to where I am now, so I can never get tired of 'Paid in Full.'

I started studying in '85 and got knowledge of self and started spitting. What was going on was taking the understanding of what I was reading and applying it with my life and applying it with my rhymes.

When I was in high school, the energy in hip-hop at that point was the park energy... I was just trying to develop my style at that point, and I think, when you're trying to find your style, you find yourself.

Being a new artist, I was trying to make a good album and hope that people like Kool Moe Dee and Melle Mel and some of the firstborns appreciated it. I was being influenced by them brothers there. That's where I got my start and my first listen.

The young kids out there doing their thing, I can't knock them.

Every generation wants that real hip-hop. And I've always been able to bring that.

There are certain things that I wish people knew - certain things that I feel I started and certain things that I'm responsible for. Sometimes you wish people knew where a certain style of rapping came from or who was the first one to say whatever.

It's hard to have fun and make a fun album when you know that it's something that you need to say.

I was heavily influenced by Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz, but I kind of wanted to take it somewhere else.

I always say a rapper is like a halfback in the NFL. You got about seven years, then it's a wrap.

My thing is, you have to let young artists be young artists.

I just appreciate the love that I get and support from hip-hop.