Nas Quotes

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.

If I ruled the world Imagine that ...

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

I think a lot of us know when it's our time. No matter what profession you're in, you get a feeling. If you worked on it long enough, you know when it's ready.

The hardest thing is to forgive, but God does, even if you murdered or robbed, ya it's wrong, but God loves, take one step toward him he'll take two toward you, even when all else fails, God'll support you

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.

Life is short is what some niggaz said; not if you measure life - by how one lives and what he did.

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.

That buck that bought a bottle could have struck the lotto

Let the music diffuse all the tension.

I'm capable of anything, my imagination can give me wings

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.

But uhh, a thug changes, and love changes
and best friends become strangers, word up

Business, endorsements and things of that nature, I got into it kinda naturally. Those ventures materialised as a direct result of things that I was actually doing; all the partnerships have been organic and not necessarily etched out plans for monetary gain.

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.

Always observe, watch, and talk to older people.

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.

When I write a story, I just wanna tell you what's in my head. It can come from real life and then turn into fantasy, stuff just rhyming. And write about what you know. I just like to tell stories that have not been told or told from my perspective.

Just do as much as you can.

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

If the virgin Mary had an abortion, I'd still be carried in a chariot of stampeding horses.

I talk about Africa and its meaning, being the birthplace of man and all that great history that's been erased and even hidden. I think it's my duty to be proud and to bring about the conversation that allows us to talk about the great history of my people.

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

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

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.

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

Dogs live longer than rappers.

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

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

I'm inspired by people like Nelson Mandela. Can you imagine - you know how racist America was back then - imagine how racism was in South Africa when he had to stand up and say what he had to say. That's bravery beyond comprehension.

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.

Hip-hop is such an amazing thing that kids still want to do it. They're not saying, "Ugh, that's the old people's music." No, they're younger than they've ever been that want to get into hip-hop music.

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

Big L scared me to death. When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I was like there's no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.

Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined

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.

I fell in love with words and I think that made my mom smile. I think that was cool for her.

Every great person educates themselves.

I've gone through too much, from beefs to divorce to my mom passing which I always expressed in my music, so there's not album that sticks out as more important than the other to me.

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

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.

Somehow the rap game remind me of the crack game

Just sitting in silence is one of the best things a man can do.

Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel. 'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss. Keep integrity at every cost,

I'm the young city bandit, hold myself down singlehanded
For murder raps, I kick my thoughts alone, get remanded
Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne
I'm deep by sound alone, caved inside in a thousand miles from home

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

I'm just flowing through, when I see things, I talk about 'em. And it's cool. I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it. I'm not perfect, and I'm just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time

Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne

It's foul what this money could do, cash corrupts the loyal.

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

What you base your happiness around?
Material, women, and large paper?
That means you inferior, not major.

Use your own intuition. You are tomorrow.

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

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.

Some people work hard to be something that they're not, and I don't work at all, I'm just me. And that can bother anybody I'm not working nearly as hard as the other guys, and they don't like it.

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.

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.

Respect all fear none my pride is everything

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.

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

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

I never brag, how real i keep it, cause thats the best secret ...

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

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.

Rule No. 1 is you can't be fake. If you're fake, you become a gimmick and you're selling a gimmick; a little gimmick is cool, this is entertainment. But when you base your stuff on mostly real stuff, you never run out of it because every day is a different adventure.

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.

I don't respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge,
Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance.
Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple;
Folks, take care of your brothers, niggas do as I do.
Keep your enemies close, where they can see you.
It's not your enemy who get you, it's always your own people.

But whats it all worth, cant take it when you under this earth
Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked
They just rob your grave, Id rather be alive and paid
Before my numbers called, historys made
Somell fall, but I rise, thug or die
Makin choices, that determine my future under the sky
To rob steal or kill, Im wondering why
Its a dirty game, is any man worthy of fame?
Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite
Sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is.

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

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.

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?)
I'm out for dead presidents to represent me.

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.

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

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.

The whole thing is, do as much as you can, when you possibly can, and don't stress.

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.

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

Life is parallel to Hell but I must maintain and be prosperous, though we live dangerous.

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

I expect the hip-hop audience to be avant garde. I want them to be where I'm at or beyond where I'm at.

True in the game, as long as blood is blue in my veins
I pour my Heineken brew to my deceased crew on memory lane

Niggas hate what they can't understand, fear what they can't conquer

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

Some seek fame cause they need validation,
Some say hating is confused admiration.

I broke into shakespeare's tomb and stole his remains, grinded the bones, smoked it, then got in the game

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.

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 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.

Whats up with your motto? Will you lead? Will you follow?

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.

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.

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.

My skin is an art gallery right, with paintings and crucifixes hoping to save me from all the dangers in the music business

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

It's a thin line between paper and hate,
Friends and snakes, nine millis and thirty-eights,
Hell or the pearly gates ... I was destined to come,
Predicted, blame God, He blew breath in my lungs.

Realize, how many classics I gave you/Perhaps if you think back you'll realize that I made you

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.

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.

People give me a better understanding on things that I said, or a different way to look at it.

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.