I feel like God gives you what you deserve. Whatever that time is, you get what you deserve.
It's our responsibility for the village to say, 'Hey we're going to create these programs,' whether it's sports, creative arts, music, we need some things to give young people positive things to do, and that's including jobs.
The impact of a conscious artist is necessary, and it ripples through the world.
I came from the South Side of Chicago wanting to be a rap artist and make videos.
It was incredible to have J Dilla in your dining room making beats - it was one of the greatest experiences I've had.
I want to be the voice of the people; black, white, everyday, oppressed people. A person trying to make it and to do it right.
One thing I always loved about hip-hop music was the raw, boom-bap element - it felt powerful and manly.
Everything I'm saying shouldn't be taken so serious. I'm playing, but at the same token, I'm acknowledging that I'm not always the perfect man; I'm not always doing the right things. That's who I am. I'm working to be better.
People always want to feel better and be inspired. Sometimes we need it. I think the conscious rapper will always be able to live and exist.
You have to be sincere in your feelings. And fear is one of those, sometimes; doubt is one of those; jealousy, anger - all your emotions are not going to be considered the strong emotions; all of them are not going to be love, happiness, joy.
Movies and media really can influence us. A few years ago, my daughter wanted to be a dancer; since Obama came into office, she now wants to be a lawyer and get into politics and maybe even be president.
This is a broad thought, but loving yourself and having the support so that you can love yourself is the most important thing that young people in Chicago can get.
One thing I have throughout my career, it felt like I did my best to align myself with quality artists, quality work, and it is a situation of steel sharpening steel.
That's why I named my album 'Finding Forever,' because that's what I was thinking about: What did I want to contribute to this world that would live beyond my physical existence?
I think you really have to remember what you loved about making music in the first place. Ultimately, people can be like, 'We've seen this dude in many movies,' but if they hear a song and they're feeling it, they can look past all the personal things and not hold it against you that you're also an actor.
Oh man, I love what the South brings as far as the soul, and I really have noticed from even the early days of listening to OutKast and Goodie Mob that Atlanta and the South has a diverse sound to it. You have bounce music. You have soulful musicians. You have artists with vocals who try to do different things.
What America was built on was being able to say, 'Hey, we're going to come in and use our resources to build for ourselves and our communities and build around that. We're not going to depend on others.'
After you make good, quality music, then it's your job to go out there and promote it and to market it and to get it out there to the people.
Obviously God knew I wasn't going to make it to the NBA as much as I probably believed. This was divine order.
My mom has obviously had a powerful influence on my life, and her voice can describe certain things that I couldn't see in myself.
