Quote collection
74 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"I use the music to vent, and a lot of the stuff that I am writing about or was writing about contained a lot of anger and anxiety, stress and depression, so that's how the album came out so dark."
"I have a very broad demographic, from the 8-year-old who knows every word to 'Ice Ice Baby' and the college kid who grew up on 'Ninja Rap' to the soccer mom and grandparent."
"To be truthful, Jay-Z wouldn't have a quarter of the records sold today if it wasn't for the white people buying his records."
"I used the music kind of as therapy, and it's just amazing that I feel so free after doing that. I feel like I had it trapped inside of me and now I feel free. So it's been a very good therapy session for me as well."
"My main thing is music; it's what I do."
"I don't harp on what I could change about the past, because I can't go back and change it. But definitely a lot of things I would change."
"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."
"I just kind of shoot the finger to the critics. I don't give sh - what a critic says. To me a critic is some loser who has no idea... someone with an opinion. We all have opinions."
"Concerts every night, autograph signings, endorsements, and so on. That's not what real life is about."
"Even in a bad market, location, location, location is a way to still buy and sell property."
"For three years between 16 and 19 I was the opening-act-for-the-opening-act-for-the-opening-act, you know? And then I was on tour with Ice-T, Stetsasonic, EPMD, Sir Mix-a-Lot--legends--and went on to sell 160 million records. It still baffles me."
"My sound has changed. It's still hiphop, but it's more of like a rock/hip-hop show. It's high energy, stage diving, pyrotechnics, girls showing their breasts. It's crazy party atmosphere."
"Show me a smile, and I'll show you one back."
"Act smarter than you are and always know where your exit is in case you get into too much trouble."