Fantastic Negrito

“I just take things one day at a time. I'm just thankful that I have my legs, my arms, my eyes.”

“We should not fear what is new, but we should not throw out that which is in the past but is still valuable.”

“'The Duffler' is a very familiar story, a story about someone having something and not appreciating it until it's gone, when it's too late.”

“Without busking, there is no Fantastic Negrito.”

“My dad was born in 1905, and the men from that period were real men. He prepared me for the world.”

“I became Fantastic Negrito, and I felt like there was a rawness and an honesty in that music that I could relate to. That I was ready, finally, in my life to be that honest with myself.”

“I love the power of music and artistry and feel a responsibility having a platform to preach good things.”

“There's certain artists that are meant to have certain paths and go the way of the corporate world. And then there are artists who are artists.”

“I had this dream that you get this record deal, and you're a star, and everybody loves you - but I was a youngster, and it didn't work out that way.”

“Exercise is good for you, so I'm always walking. I don't drink sodas or eat fast food, either.”

“Jimmy Iovine signed me personally to a million-dollar contract, and I lost my identity for a long time. That system is so predicated on making a hit, or you're out of here.”

“NPR changed my life; I don't even front.”

“When I was a youngster, I wrote all this music - it just came out of me - and I think record executives were like, 'Oh, wow, he's a genius, let's give him a million dollars!' But the minute I started producing the records, they'd be like, 'Oh, my God, you're terrible! You're all over the place! We can't market this!'”

“The streets spoke to me in a way that religion didn't.”

“Live performance is everything. First of all, I have terrible stage fright. But beyond that, once the music starts, it's OK.”

“Your dream can die. You will probably give up. But from there, you can start everything over.”

“What I decided was I'd be happier not being in the confines of a corporate infrastructure producing music. That's when I was free, and it opened up the door to have a different personality and incarnations. That's really when I had success in my music life. I was able to license my music.”

“I throw up before every show. I'm thinking about just making it part of the act.”

“I usually go to secondhand stores and find what I can. I like finding interesting things: vests, blazers. I tell the band, 'We got to look good when we're up there.' I learned it from Miles Davis. I read about his suits in his biography. Suits mean you're getting paid, and I like the idea that he looked good in his suits.”