Rap quotes
1.8K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside rap — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"Why shouldn't rap be esoteric, able to take in current events, history and criticism? I guess it's this old idea of containment - that rappers, because they're black, can't and shouldn't aspire to look outside the ghetto for influence."
"As kids we used to laugh/Who knew that life would move this fast? Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass? And look, tell me you ain't did it, you ain't did it And if you did, then that's family business."
"If you're really a rapper, you can't stop rapping."
"Jay-Z is like a rap-savant, he doesn't have to write the rhymes down, he can create complex raps in his head. I mean he does memorize it, he just doesn't write it down on paper. He doesn't freestyle onto the track, it's all thought out."
"On the reals, all these crab niggaz know the deal, When we start the revolution, all they'll probably do is squeal."
"So while you're imitating Al Capone, I'll be Nina Simone And defecating on your microphone."
"What if history was changed? slavery reversed Would black ladies see white boys and clinch they purse?"
"Toasting is basically what you call rapping. It came off of playing the beats at the parties, however it be. You find a space in the beat, and you have somebody live just basically saying rhymes over the beat."
"There is a community in hip-hop. It doesn't seem like that anywhere else, except maybe in punk rock. But punk rock is tricky, because it has become such a pop thing. But in rap, there is still a feeling of community. Who are our peers? Rappers."
"I listen to a lot of different music. I love hip-hop. I'm a big underground rap fan. I listen to the likes of J. Cole. Lately, I've also been getting into techno house music. And I've been on an Eighties retro kick, and I've even been experimenting with some rock."
"Not everyone agrees on music. Some people like rap, some like country - it's all an opinion. F the critics."
"When I got a chance to rap, I just busted my ass. When I got a chance to act, I busted my ass. Anytime I get a chance. I'm not wasting time. I won't do it if I'm not doing it 110 percent. You've got to work hard if you want to play hard. I like to play, but I know I gotta bust my ass."
"Before rap came along, I was, actually, actively in the streets; getting in trouble, doing the wrong thing."
"We think the man with the best rap will protect and save us, but it's not usually that way. Love is something deeper and purer."
"I lay down so hard, I got bed rash"
"When it waynes, it pours."
"If I have a rap album I'm dropping, then I want it to be the best rap album."
"The Nets' a stone throw from where I used to throw bricks ...So it's only right I'm still tossing 'round Knicks."
"I was lucky enough to see the original cast of 'In the Heights.' This one blew my mind. The infusion of Latin, hip hop and rap with musical theatre, great storytelling and talent was a powerful combination to me during a time when I'd not been moved by much!"
"Humor is really important to me. All my favorite writers are writers I consider to be funny, including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, even though that's not necessarily their rap."
