Mos Def quotes - page 3

I was taught when there's somethin' you can change around keep quiet, you got nothin' to complain about. (Mos Def)
I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I'm not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that's a buzz kill. There's got to be a better code of conduct, some basic etiquette. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I just don't think it's very dignified to ask people to like you. You can just wind up being somebody's ottoman. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I like to read the 'Financial Times' when I'm traveling. 'Economist.' 'Ad Busters.' View quote
Mos Def
To me, the job of the artist is to provide a useful and intelligent vocabulary for the world to be able to articulate feelings they experience everyday, and otherwise wouldn't have the means to express in a meaningful and useful way. View quote
Mos Def
Bob Marley performed the 'One Love Peace' concert in Jamaica with the two different warring political sides. There's always been that in black music and culture in general. It's no surprise because black music is such a reflection of what's going on in black life. It's not unusual for hip-hop. (Mos Def)
If Islam's sole interest is the welfare of mankind, then Islam is the strongest advocate of human rights anywhere on Earth. View quote
Mos Def
I can't control what people think. I'm not trying to manipulate people's thoughts or sentiments. I write all the time. You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions. It's machine-like how things are run now in hip-hop, and my ambitions are different. View quote
Mos Def
And remember don't high post when you're far from home, and high posting when you're all alone. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I'm retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I'm actually doing it. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I believe the projects were a social experiment; we were laboratory rats stacked on top of each other, and people just knew, inherently, that there was something wrong. There's not a lot of regard for the property by the residents. View quote
Mos Def
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. View quote
Mos Def
I don't rap like nobody, I don't try to sound like nobody. View quote
Mos Def
If 'Life in Marvelous Times' can't get on the radio, then I don't need to be on the radio. (Mos Def)