Nas Quotations

You can't please everybody. You'd be crazy if you're trying to. So take some time out to do some things for yourself.

The things that I have said when I was young and curious about whatever the subject matter was, I respect those - those are growing pains. Even if you make mistakes, I go back to those things, my not-so-great moments because those are my truest moments; those are my human moments. I'm not even mad at the things I said that were a little dicey.

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.

No one's promised anything. You could have the biggest record on radio and sell no records.

Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate... I had a best friend killed, plenty other friends killed. I been through it. I seen it.

Your look reflects what's happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you.

I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it, man. I'm not perfect, and I'm just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time, you know?

When you have a daughter, you want to protect her from the things that I've seen out there, you know, the things that's out there that ain't good for her. It's a crazy world we live in.

I think if I heard someone else talking about their life, describing all the problems I've had, they'd look like they were through. Done. But there's something about me - I'm smiling. Those things are really not bad enough to put me in a slump. I'm smiling with the opportunity to wake up every morning.

Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.

I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.

Once you make it to your point of making it, you'll appreciate the struggle.

Working with great people makes you great; you learn a lot and it also gives you the experience and confidence to move on with your own career.

I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up.

I don't go out unless I'm working. My quality time is when I'm doing nothing.

I wish the music business was a much easier thing, but you know what? Nothing easy is worth anything. So it is what it is. There comes a time when things can work out and everybody can be happy. And that's what it's all about in the end - everybody being happy and working it out.

The flaws, the mistakes I make – that's the real me.

Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.

'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.

Hip-hop lasted and survived all these years that you have to give it credit. Even though it's not up to people's expectations anymore, its still here, and that's says a lot.

I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I'm talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life.

I love the art world, I love art galleries, I love what it means - I love art.

When you're a teenager, you want to meet a lot of girls - you want to get the most girls. You don't know anything about respect; you don't know anything about being faithful and loyal to your girlfriend.

Calling Michelle 'Obama Barack's baby mama?' Tell me, is that acceptable? But the Obamas aren't the only targets. Fox's pattern of race-baiting and fear-mongering regularly focuses on black leaders, black institutions and ordinary black people.

Some people say I'm conscious, some say I'm a gangsta rapper - it's just me doing me. I'm stomping in my own lane. I'm doing what I do.

All fatherhood is very important because single mothers shouldn't have to raise sons or daughters; they need that help.

DJs play a big responsibility of what hip-hop is doing... At the end of the day, it's up to us to control and to own hip-hop. DJs need to challenge us rappers. They got so much power, they need to challenge us.

I'll always love rap, no matter what's going on.

I never stood for any president in my life, never voted, before Barack Obama. It changed my life to vote. It starts there with me. I never cared for politics before Barack Obama. I never thought it mattered to people like me.

I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life was.

When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead.

The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.

I don't have time for the news clippings. I got my own mission.

Divorce can be crazy. Man, if you're happy... Love is a beast, man. Hold on. Be prepared for any way it may go, and be honest.

Africa has been going through so much for so many years; it's time that it stands up the way other nations are standing up.

You know, rap is sort of like a form of talking, right? So it's like you can hear, you know, the slaves doing it. You can hear, like, you know, Africans and Jamaicans doing it just kind of as, like, a rhythmic, poetic conversation, you know, to a rhythm.

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.

I think the fact that I made enough noise in the world that I might be remembered is an amazing achievement. You can't ask for more than that.

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

I don't get jealousy, I don't get how people hate each other - I never did.

No matter who you are, black, white, green, there's going to be things in your way, you know what I mean?

Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.

There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people would respect it.

I definitely have plans to do more collaboration albums in the future. I'm a big fan of Common. I'm a big fan of Scarface; I'm a big fan of so many people, from Jeezy to... well, there are a lot of people's music that I respect. I don't know who I will collaborate with, but there's a great chance of something happening.

My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.

I can't control what people think. They know who I am.

Anybody can be a rapper, but not anybody can be a classical artist.

I love PBS! I grew up on it. If I had to say which channels were good, I'd say, you got your PBS, your History Channel, your Discovery.

We're all Africans, everyone - black, white, yellow.

I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do.

I think marriage is a beautiful thing. I'm still a supporter of it.

I'm just little me, an American who wants to see his country do better.

Whenever I received too much praise, it just didn't feel right to me - ever.

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

Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.

My record company had to beg me to stop filmin' music videos in the projects. No matter what the song was about, I had 'em out there.

Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun. My fun is not doing the easy work. My fun is doing what's me.

To me, creatively challenging myself is my version of owning the Nets.

I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still blessed with the opportunity to make music and pass out a message like, 'Life is good,' to the world.

GaGa is one of my favourites. Her voice is incredible and she's fearless and she's ahead of the game. She's ahead of the entire game, and I admire that.

Hip-hop artists, especially the older ones, are the ones who knew hip-hop was a worldwide phenomenon before the mainstream caught on, so hip-hop artists are forward thinkers. We want to stay with the new.

I've been called everything. Gangsta rap. I've been called conscious rap. You know, everything. Whoever feels like calling it whatever they want to call it, that's on them.

Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you know what I mean? I just talk about what's going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down.

'Stillmatic' is the rebirth of 'Illmatic,' my first debut album to come out in 1994. 'Stillmatic' is me coming full circle in my career and with everything, and just bringing pure hip-hop back.

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

I had a pretty public divorce. They're not easy - divorces - and it took me a long time to really get through.

Let's not forget, art can sell. You ain't gotta front all the time on your records.

I think the hip-hop purists are purists through and through. They're here to criticize all of us. That's just how it is. We as MC's criticize each other. That's the nature of hip-hop.

I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it feels like it.

It's never been seen that a street artist go as far as I've gone - keep consistent without wanting to do a bunch of ventures outside of music to keep my face out there.

N.Y. hip-hop is ok, but we gotta become brave again; we have to be brave enough and do something new - that's what New York is about... New.

I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it's a grind. N.Y. rappers are hustlers - whatever sound is in, we can adapt to that; there's nothing wrong with that.

And the stuff that I write, is even tougher than dykes

I guess entertainment means blatantly lyin'

Hip-hop ain't died because of the South, that's retarded.

Dogs live longer than rappers.

I set it off with my own rhyme / cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time

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

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.

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

In hip hop no one cares. No one stands up for it and it's a mess. We need order so we can all follow the tradition of where we came from. We need to keep referring to the pioneers.

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

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.

Used to ride with him to Brooklyn, Lewis and Halsey, co chocolate thai, vernon style and burn it down

There needs to be structures in place to do something about misrepresentation about hip hop. When awards are given out and the media talk about hip hop, they're confused because they haven't done their homework on it so you have a case where there's an award for the most pop song in the world and it's called 'hip hop'.

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.

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

There's always going to be space for battle in hip hop. For competition. It's just an inseparable part of the game.

The Internet made the world smaller, so it's easier for people to hear your music. You don't necessarily need a radio record.

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners

You know the block was ill as a youngster Every night it was like a, cop would get killed body found in the dumpster

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.

You don't want to disappoint. Especially someone like me who's been out of music for years and hasn't had an album in like, four years.

I used to keep a dictionary and work with it and then I realized there are more words that exist in the English language than there are in this dictionary.

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.

If I made an album just to sell you a story about how I'm the man, it really doesn't show any human side to me. It's good to talk about what's real and what's relevant.

I think more people want to be rappers than anything else.

I want you to know who I am: what the streets taste like, feel like, smell like. What the cops talk like, walk like, think like. What crackheads do - I wanted you to smell it, feel it. It was important to me that I told the story that way because I thought that it wouldn't be told if I didn't tell it.

I want to hear the artist. I want to hear them give me something that I can relate to, other than the fact that everything's about bragging.

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.