A poet's mission is to make words do more work than they normally do, to make them work on more than one level.

Rap has been a path between cultures in the best tradition of popular music.

You could name practically any problem in the hood and there'd be a rap song for you.

Housing projects can seem like labyrinths to outsiders, as complicated and intimidating as a Moroccan bazaar. But we knew our way around.

You are the creator of your thoughts, thoughts create your actions, and actions create you.

My sister burns, and she does not burn for you.

The irony of taking Anti Depressants: you take them to feel good but they also make you feel bad or worse because you worry about your purse.

-I got the conch!" --Piggy (in Lord of the Flies), attempting Democracy

Although many texters enjoy breaking linguistic rules, they also know they need to be understood.

Every morning when I'm thrashing around on the floor doing my solid hour of heavy exercises I'm not really doing that for anyone but myself. It makes me feel good.

Some people take better care of their pets than they do themselves. Their animals can run like the wind and they can barely make it up a flight of stairs.

We find our happiness to the extent to which we use our minds to bless the world, for that is the natural use of the mind. It is the reason we were born.

I'm not inspired by songwriting at all; that took place years ago. I'm pretty well established, as far as my influences go. I don't listen to music anymore. It all sounds the same to me.

Shutting people down creatively often doesn't get the best performance out of them.