Nas

“There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people would respect it.”

“I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life was.”

“The flaws, the mistakes I make - that's the real me.”

“I love the art world, I love art galleries, I love what it means - I love art.”

“Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.”

“'Stillmatic' is the rebirth of 'Illmatic,' my first debut album to come out in 1994. 'Stillmatic' is me coming full circle in my career and with everything, and just bringing pure hip-hop back.”

“Whenever I received too much praise, it just didn't feel right to me - ever.”

“I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do.”

“No matter who you are, black, white, green, there's going to be things in your way, you know what I mean?”

“'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.”

“The sound of the '90s, to me, is a combination of soul and street - it's a feeling.”

“It's never been seen that a street artist go as far as I've gone - keep consistent without wanting to do a bunch of ventures outside of music to keep my face out there.”

“I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I'm talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life.”

“I don't have time for the news clippings. I got my own mission.”

“I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up.”

“I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it feels like it.”

“My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.”

“Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you know what I mean? I just talk about what's going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down.”

“I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it's a grind. N.Y. rappers are hustlers - whatever sound is in, we can adapt to that; there's nothing wrong with that.”

“Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.”