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" But even creeps deserve to live someplace halfway decent. "
Mos Def
Live
Decent
Halfway
Related Quotes:
" I'm a passionate person. I'm a lot of things, like most people are. Most people are dynamic. The focus is not on me though, I'm a screen. The aim is to always keep myself in the position where the screen is clear. "
Mos Def
Focus
Passionate
Me
" If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you know, cursory. That's like standing. "
Mos Def
Walk
Duck
Kind
" I like to read the 'Financial Times' when I'm traveling. 'Economist.' 'Ad Busters.' "
Mos Def
Like
Read
Traveling
" I don't wanna get into that space where a lot of guys now, their solo album is like eight or 10 songs with other people, you don't get an idea of who this guy is. I just wasn't interested in that. "
Mos Def
People
Space
Now
" I know what it feels like to have the door slammed firmly in my face, so I'm cool with that. "
Mos Def
Door
Cool
Like
" In the early '90s, when I really started to find my voice, I was reading a lot of books, and I was moved by the writers, like Chinua Achebe, and I wanted to be able to write rhymes that were as potent as what I was reading. "
Mos Def
Voice
Early
Like
" You're not gonna get through life without being worshipful or devoted to something. You're either devoted to your job, or to your desires. So the best way to spend your life is to try to be devoted to prayer, to Allah. "
Mos Def
Job
Allah
You
" When people say, 'I don't see you enough,' well just because you don't see me don't mean I don't exist, or just 'cause you haven't heard me don't mean I haven't been making noise. But if I keep making noise, you'll pick up. "
Mos Def
You
People
Say
" I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so I've been going by Yasiin since '99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now I'm declaring it openly. "
Mos Def
Friends And Family
Person
Family
" I don't mind being black. I'm black out loud. It's more than the people that they are, it's the condition that they represent. "
Mos Def
Loud
Black
Mind
" I'm trying to get low. People's personalities can get in the way of their own work. "
Mos Def
Trying
People
Own
" I get reminded a lot of the time that my life is a little bit different, but I'm just trying to keep it as regular as possible because I like it that way. "
Mos Def
Trying
Life
Time
" What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. "
Mos Def
Like
Economy
Ability
" Good art provides people with a vocabulary about things they can't articulate. "
Mos Def
People
Good
Vocabulary
" I feel like I was the only person who was capable of making this type of music in this type of way. I don't rap like nobody, I don't try to sound like nobody. "
Mos Def
Person
Feel
Music
" There are a lot of people who call themselves teachers or leaders, but they're really just propagandists. "
Mos Def
Leaders
Just
Call
" It's possible and available to any artist to be himself or herself on their own terms, to be accepted and embraced by black people. You don't have to be a thug to get love from black people. "
Mos Def
Thug
Artist
Black
" You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions. "
Mos Def
Experience
Ask
You
" I have no confidence issues with the impact or the quality of the music. No one in hip-hop, before this point and to this point, with all due respect, has done this. "
Mos Def
Respect
Confidence
Music
" Reckless capitalism kills black people. "
Mos Def
Reckless
Black
Capitalism
" With guys I revere, like Marcus Garvey or Malcolm X, their look is less about style than purpose and the expression of beauty. It wasn't just about being noticed, you know? "
Mos Def
Style
Purpose
You
" If Islam's sole interest is the welfare of mankind, then Islam is the strongest advocate of human rights anywhere on Earth. "
Mos Def
Then
Islam
Human Rights
" I feel like being into the beat of your own drum has become too prominent in the culture. "
Mos Def
Become
Culture
Drum
" You have to be an extremist to believe that you're gonna be the president of the United States and your name is Barack Hussein Obama! And he's using extreme methods, but his application is very smooth. Michelle Obama is extreme, her presence is extreme. And it's an extreme good. Extreme is not negative. "
Mos Def
Negative
You
Name
" African art is functional, it serves a purpose. It's not a dormant. It's not a means to collect the largest cheering section. It should be healing, a source a joy. Spreading positive vibrations. "
Mos Def
Joy
Purpose
Art
" I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice. "
Mos Def
Star
Nice
Know
" I've been fortunate with my acting career. A lot of scripts come to me. I don't mind auditioning if something that requires that, but I haven't had to in awhile, which is a nice place to be 'cause I've been on quite a lot of auditions in my life. "
Mos Def
Life
Place
Nice
" Everything's got space between it, the planets, trees, your eyes. Your eyes get too close together, it's a whole different world. You can lose perspective. "
Mos Def
Eyes
Together
Space
" I don't want to waste anyone's time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift. "
Mos Def
Heart
Truth
Time
" I didn't want to have to deal with having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as. "
Mos Def
Myself
Separation
Want