234 Quotes by Talib Kweli

I don’t think that early hip hop stood out to be a social critique. A lot of fans of mine think that hip hop’s ultimate responsibility is to critique social structures.

I have a luxury of people coming to see me whether I play for the crowd or not. I don’t take that lightly.

If you go to a college campus and you do stop and frisk, you’re going to find a lot of drugs there too.

Even an independent label is looking for a hit, they’re not looking for a record that’s not gonna do well.

My kids are the most inspiring thing that pushes me. It used to be because they were born, and I had to take care of them. Now it’s because my son raps, and he’s better than me. So now I gotta keep up with him, you know what I’m saying?

You see somebody rapping and you’re like, “Nah, my cousin can do that.” You’re spoiled by the experience. Overseas, it’s still something that people can appreciate.

Unfortunately hip-hop is so competitive that in order for fringe groups to get in, you gotta be better than whoever’s the best. So before Eminem, the idea that there would be a white rapper that anybody would really check for was fantastic or amazing or impossible.

I look at the deejay thing as something – I’m good at it because I have my own music. I have enough rhythm to blend at this point.

Fortunately, artists can live off their works, if you’re creative at how you do it. If you just depend on the videos and the radio, you’re at a loss.