“I have been known as the minimal and conceptual artist for over five decades. I think I haven't changed much.”
Quote collection
Thinking Quotes — page 786 of 4756
“I think energy is the most important thing that we can give to people as performers. Anything else is a little bit pretentious. But energy is not.”
“What we do really affects the world. Most of us think we can't do anything, but it really isn't true.”
“When you go through a negative situation, don’t think about it. Make it positive.”
“I am the type of person who would do something thoroughly if someone said, "I don't think you can do it." I am extremely rebellious. I have this strong, defiant spirit.”
“I started to notice that simpleness is divine. I think we all start trying to use very complex harmonies and rhythms and all that because of a certain kind of ambition. But I was always trying to create something simple.”
“I don't think you make a choice to be an artist. There was no decision for me. I've been expressing myself this way since I can remember.”
“Some people are saying there's going to be a third World War. I hope not. I really think this is a time that people can start to mend things by negotiations, dealings. We know about dealings, don't we? We have brilliant lawyers. Why don't we have brilliant lawyers standing up and working for peace?”
“When you go on a stage, before you go on a stage you're really scared and you're really frightened. You don't know what to do. "Why did I say yes to this?" But once you're on the stage you think, "Okay."”
“I think I'm an observer in a way. And my life was not so - well, my life was bad too - but it's just that I had the sense to cope with it. But it's probably not that easy to cope if you're in a society where you get killed when your husband dies.”
“As humans, we have the tendency to call on God only when we think that we're in dire straits as opposed to cultivating a real relationship with Him every day. And that's what my music tries to convey to all the listeners - try to cultivate it every day.”
“But I don't think I've grown up to be a damaged adult.”
“But I still think it's mind over matter in the sense that if you're strong, you can combat anything.”
“More than half of all the hip hop record sales are white people, and I think that might be a result of my record helping people to accept hip hop.”
“A lot of people think I was an overnight success, but I was an opening act for three or four years, and then I signed my contract with EMI. Then it kind of blew up overnight.”
“What makes critics dictate what is cool and what is not. What gives them the pass to say that their opinion on music or movies or anything is what should be cool and what shouldn't. I don't think it should be up to one person.”
“Pressure selling is firmly rooted in American economic life, and I'm sorry it is, for it should not be necessary. Some people think part of the panic following 1929 was due to too much pressure in selling.”
“I think my strength in teaching and what I get a lot of good feedback on is going towards the students and asking them what they are about. It's about putting your own personality into the work.”
“Serena and I have done some great career planning, and we're playing really at the peak of our tennis right now. I think tennis has been a sport where people play this insane schedule from 14 years old, so of course at 26, it's over. We've really paced ourselves.”
“Sometimes, when there's a video montage. I'm thinking, 'That's my life. Oh, my God, I did that.' Yeah, it's amazing.”