I could hear music playing in the background of works by certain authors, like Poe and Shakespeare. And I discovered Nikki Giovanni when I was in eighth grade. Her writing has a musical energy with...

Prince, Bootsy Collins, Earth Wind & Fire and Parliament all had albums that sound different. I wanted to show, as a hip-hop producer, I'm one of those that can do anything, because I was raised on so...

Prior to Katrina, the South Bronx and New Orleans' Ninth Ward had a lot in common. Both were largely populated by poor people of color, both hotbeds of cultural innovation: think hip-hop and jazz....

One of my most popular songs, 'Satellites,' I paid $300 for that beat on SoundClick.

When hip-hop was new and raw, it was all about being an MC. You wanted to be respected as a lyricist. But as the years passed and hip-hop became big business, hip-hop became like country, rock and...

Jada, Styles P, the LOX, period. You put on one of their songs... I'm in the car; I try to stay calm in the car. I don't like bouncing around, getting hyper, but there are certain songs you gotta go...

With 'Hip-Hop Saved My Life,' I attempted to make 'Kick, Push,' but for rappers. To give a real basic play-by-play of the life of a rapper before he makes it - if he ever makes it, because you can get...

When I made hip-hop, I made hip-hop. I didn't make R&B or make it for the radio.

Kendrick was a real big inspiration for me. I saw him when I was younger... 'Rigamortis' was out... maybe I was 14... I rapped for him.

I was raised on African music, Harry Belafonte, and the Boston Pops. Then I got a dose of soul and hip-hop. I related to it immediately.

People often link grime with other things, like street culture, and clashing, and MC battles and whatnot. But no one's ever talked about misogyny in grime. That's often linked to hip-hop, I know...

What worries me are these so-called radio stations with program directors who don't play all the different flavors of hip-hop. They should play the old with the new, 24/7, 365 days a year. A lot of...

My partner, Danny Strong, came to me with this idea of telling a story about my life and merging that with music and the hip-hop world. He wrote 'The Butler' and originally wanted to do 'Empire' also...

I think taking back the term 'mumble rap' was important to me because I appreciate and love every facet of hip-hop and everything that's going on right now in the game, so I felt it kind of...

I feel like everything I do in the hip-hop world has an influence. People don't really notice what I did until somebody else does it. As far as hip-hop goes, I want to continue to make good music, and...

Hip-hop saved me. It gave me permission to use language in a certain way. It validated my community and my friends. It gave our slang a certain elegance.

Growing up in New York City and hip-hop are two inseparable things, two things that are totally intertwined in our lives.

I'm kind of like a folk singer mixed with soul, but I feel like if you really are a lover of hip-hop music, make the beat banging as possible and then put the message in so that people get the honey...

I'm in great company and some may say that the underexposure has added to my allure and the staying power of me as a MC and The Roots as a band.

Our style of hip-hop, our style of beats, our style of rhymes - you gonna give us burn. We gonna get our burn that we deserve.

I grew up listening to a lot of Chief Keef, Lil B, all that.

I was raised listening to, like, Jay and Big and Pac, Cassidy, Ludacris, even some of Drake's stuff.

There's not many attractive, young female artists out there. There is a lot of talent, but they don't know how to promote themselves. I think there should be more sexy women in hip-hop and R&B, and...

I've worked with incredible producers in the past, but when me and El-P got in a room, there was no way I was going to let off his head because not only was he one of the greatest producers I heard,...

I'm one of those cats who could listen to Public Enemy and then pop that out and throw an NWA tape in there.

I may be able to concentrate on a move, but it may not look exactly how I need it to look like, as far as in the ballroom world. Hip-hop is different; it is a lot more flowy with ballroom.

I'm a Honey G fan. She can spit some vibes on one of my songs; she's got rhymes for days! She's gangster. I love her.

I love drill beats. They're so hard and can be molded to fit any emotion. The 808s drew me in at first, especially because I was listening to Sheff G, Sleepy Hallow, and Pop Smoke. They helped inspire...

As far as Hip Hop Manhattan was after the Bronx.

Hip-hop is really standoffish. It's really competitive and it's really about who's number one all the time. Sometimes it gets out of hand.