In my day, we didn’t have the cocaine, so we went out and knocked somebody over the head and took the money. But today, all this cocaine and crack, it doesn’t give kids a chance.

I kept my babies fed. I could have dumped them, but I didn’t. I decided that whatever trip I was on, they were going with me. You’re looking at a real daddy.

Everyone to me has to pick a subject to talk about in music if you’re going to be a writer.

I’ve always loved War’s Low Rider and Sly Stone’s Thank You, and I just wanted to put my take on them.

I’m very happy with this new record. It’s dealing with different aspects of love-it’s me making a statement about people doing something with their lives. It is about caring for others.

I don’t know if it’s my music, my lyrics, my sound and knowing the music business the way I do – all I can say is, my career has lasted way longer than I expected.

I never learned to read or write music. Never wanted to fool with scales. That was boring, forced. The music I heard was free – flowing.

There’s a time when people give their words to each other it has to mean something. I’m a street cat. I’ve belonged in gangs and when you had a partner, you went down with your partner whether you won the fight or lost it. You went down together.

When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn’t swallow the hypocrisy.

I quit high school on my birthday. It was my senior year and I didn’t see the point. This was 1962, and I was ready to make music.