Rappers From The United States

"A lot of people see the glory, and don't know the story."

"Don't ever burn a bridge. Let me ask you a question: can you walk on water? Don't burn no bridge. Only God can walk on water."

"The key is to make it."

"I eat pears now, and shit like that. Shoutout to all the pear."

"They kick you when you're down but they wanna kick it when you up."

"It wasn’t even nothing personal. I left the group when I was 21. They were my manager, my producers, my label. Also, I was just young. I was on a spiritual journey. At the time, I thought it was religion."

"cI been watching them girls for the past couple of years and I was like, ‘What the f**k?’ It made me feel good, they represented Memphis right. It’s only been me and [La] Chat that came out of Memphis,” she said. “A year later, GloRilla got signed. I got distracted because I was thinking of her glow-up. I think she was 19, remember when [I] was that age?"

"Every day something special has happened. Every day something new keeps happening. It’s crazy."

"The best feeling in the world is having someone all to yourself and not looking dumb"

"People try to go tell you stuff, and they’re not in your shoes. They don’t see all the footwork that goes into it. Mentally and physically, it’s just a drain. They don’t know what you’ve been through, so people always try to tell you “You know what I would do? I would do that.” You don’t even know the half."

"No shame in my game."

"You gotta let me be me. Because everything I’m doing and how I operated has worked for me all this time."

"I think the way that you dress always can add spice to whatever you’re doing, to hold people’s attention."

"But the people who do show love and who love what I do, those are the people who I work for, who I want to keep happy. You can’t worry about the haters."

"I wanted women around the world to have an anthem for all the times they've had their phone blown up by someone that they really didn't want to speak to, especially if he's a married man."

"I deleted all my old music and I am rebranding myself. I don’t have to hypersexualize myself in order to be successful."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting a girl, but if she blatantly tells you 'no' and asks you to stop calling her, then please take a hint."

"At first I didn’t like it at all I felt it divided us as a people, that it sped us up to the point that we lost our morality. But now, I love it especially from the POV of my business I get to be independent on a level of controlling my destiny. We made a lot of people very rich! Of course social media has its pros and cons but that’s with everything. So I just take advantage of what benefits me and my family and block out the dumb shit."

"Of course Eazy E and mainly because he saw leadership in me even though we had such a brief time together. I just feel I would be up there with the richest in the game if we had more conversations. Another person is Russell Simmons. He allowed me to be a part of his Hip-Hop summits awhile back and that really stuck with me. I’ve always admired the CEO’s of the labels; the James Princes’, Puffys and Master P’s–the leaders and shot callers. Uncle Rush gave me knowledge in that little time I spent around him. I don’t think he would know how much he affected me with the financial literacy I learned when he was starting the rush card and we were rocking Phat Farm. He’s a Legendary Hip Hop Pioneer."

"Nah, it wasn’t a collapsed lung. I had an auto-immune disease called sarcoidosis. It’s a disease when my immune system works too much, but it doesn’t have anything to fight off. It starts attacking your healthy organs – your lungs, your heart, whatever. In my case, it started attacking my lungs, and I was going through it for a while. Coughing, crazy chest pains. I’m good now. I’m actually still on medication, but everything is good now."

"Damn G, the spot's getting hot/So how the fuck am I supposed to make a knot?/Police looking at niggas through a microscope/In L.A. everybody and they momma sell dope/They trying to stop it/So what the fuck can I do to make a profit?/Catch a flight to St. Louis/That's cool, cause nobody knew us."

"I wouldn’t say it was on a negative — back in the days, when I was having my little spat with Quik — this is way before we got cool […] Back in my heyday, I was a Crip; he was a Blood. Suge and them was Bloods. That was just the nature of Compton."

"He told me to pull over and a couple of dudes walked up on my car, and he just wanted to tell me as far as the situation that was going down with me and Quik, the affiliations, it wouldn’t be trickled over into my mom’s place of residence."

"Interviewed in the mid-1990s, Richard Price, author of the novel Clockers and, with Spike Lee, co-author of the screenplay for its film adaptation, addresses the social basis on which young black people are represented in the film:"

"Tell me why are we, so blind to see That the ones we hurt, are you and me? Tell me why are we, so blind to see That the ones we hurt, are you and me?"

"Been spendin' most their lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise Been spendin' most their lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives, livin' in the gangsta's paradise."

"Power and the money, money and the power Minute after minute, hour after hour Everybody's runnin', but half of them ain't lookin' It's goin' on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'"

"Black manhood: … the corporations [believe] they've found a way … [to] put soul in a bottle. If they can put soul in a bottle, … they can put manhood in a bottle—and then show the bottle in advertising."

"Black death has been pimped by corporations, and young people think that the street credibility is … a thing that will ride them into some kind of profitability in life."

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left 'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long, that Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of You better watch how you're talkin', and where you're walkin' Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk."

"They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me If they can't understand it, how can they reach me I guess they can't, I guess they won't I guess they front, that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool."

"I don't want to be fake. I'm just being me. And I have the power to break stereotypes and whatever useless rules that society puts on us."

"I wasn't the kid who got involved in the streets. I liked to be at home with my family."

"Puerto Rico has limited influence over US national policy. Island residents cannot vote in presidential elections, and their congressional representative has no voting power. Without sovereignty, bilateral relations, or participation in international bodies, culture remains our primary doorway to the world, and Bad Bunny has opened it wider than ever."

"Quítate la ropa, que hace calor Días de playa, noches de terror En la gaveta dejo el temor Pa las envidiosas paz y amor"

"In 2002, Around the time [when "Chickenhead" was out], I had got locked up on a gun charge, so really, the time that all that was going on—I got out on bond from the feds, stayed out like six months, and then when the album dropped, I was doing a lot of shows. What ended up happening was I got locked up so I couldn’t do anything. I probably would have [performed in New York], but I’ve never done a solo show. I’ve done shows in New York back in the day with Three 6 [Mafia] but I’ve never done a solo show by myself."

"I’m just saying. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer, but Kendrick—his lyrics, his last album was outstanding. Best album, I think, of last year."

"I'm not on the outside looking in, I'm not on the inside looking out I'm in the dead fucking centre looking around You ever seen a newborn baby kill a grown man? That's an analogy for the way the world make me react My innocence been dead So the next time I talk about money, hoes, clothes, God and history All in the same sentence Just know I meant it, and you felt it Cause you too are searching for answers I'm not the next pop star, I'm not the next socially aware rapper I am a human motherfucking being"

"The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it Its only job is to eat or consume everything Around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city While consuming its environment the Caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive One thing it noticed is how much the World shuns him, but praises the butterfly The butterfly represents the talent, The thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the Butterfly as weak and figures out A way to pimp it to his own benefits Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar Goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him He can no longer see past his own thoughts He's trapped When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots, Such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that The caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle Although the butterfly and caterpillar are Completely different, they are one and the same."

"Sorry I didn't save the world, my friend I was too busy buildin' mine again I choose me, I'm sorry"

"If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it? I mean I write poems in these songs dedicated to you When you're in the mood for empathy, there's blood in my pen Better yet where your friends and them?"

"Lord forgive me Kill him where he stand and stand over him, shake his hand Then jump back in that mini van, double back to his block and blam I ain't backing down for nothing I'ma back em down like Shaq with this black 2-2-3 in my hand Better pray that this chopper jam like a radio single, man Police radio signals sayin' that a 187 land on your corner Coroners comfort your mama "Mama he's dead," the next morning I toasted up with my homies We drink and smoke marijuana, want us to change our ways? Uh-huh You see this game we play come from uncles that raised me in Compton Ask me what I have accomplished I don't know I don't have conscience I just load up and start dumpin' on enemies; I'm head hunting No sympathy, ain't no love when you in these streets just get something Protect ya neck cuz they comin' for sets, respect, split your onion Then chop your deck your head tumblin' like gymnastics Cause ignorance is bliss"

"Now, in a perfect world, I probably won't be insensitive Cold as December, but never remember what winter did I wouldn't blame you for mistakes I made or the bed I laid Seems like I point the finger just to make a point, nowadays Smiles and cold stares, the temperature goes there Indigenous dispossession, feel like we belong here I know the walls, they can listen, I wish they could talk back The hurt becomes repetition, the love almost lost that Sick venom in men and women overcome with pride A perfect world is never perfect, only filled with lies Promises are broken and more resentment come alive Race barriers make inferior of you and I See, in a perfect world, I'll choose faith over riches I'll choose work over bitches, I'll make schools out of prison I'll take all the religions and put 'em all in one service Just to tell 'em we ain't shit, but He's been perfect, world"

"What's fair when the hearts and the words don't reach? What's fair when the money don't take things back? It's rare when somebody take your dreams back? (And I'm trippin' and fallin') I care too much, wanna share too much In my head too much, I shut down too I ain't there too much, I'm a complex soul They layered me up, then broke me down And moralities dust, I lack in trust (and I'm trippin' and fallin')"

"Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice .. your name will always be synonymous with justice."

"[Africa] just felt like a place where I belonged. It was as simple as that. You hear about the land and you hear untold truths about it, and now you’re old enough to witness it yourself. It just gave me a whole other perspective on where I’m from. What we’re doing in the city of Compton and how the world is just so much bigger than the city of Compton."

"Does it matter whether Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck versus his shoulder?"

"None of the vital structures were in the area that the knee appeared to be in the videos .. all of his injuries were in areas where the knee was not. In other words, they were on the front of his body, his face, places where he was restrained, but there was absolutely no evidence of injury on the skin, to the subcutaneous tissue, or the deeper structures of the back or the neck. I did not see bruising or abrasion to the skin. It speaks to the amount of force that was applied to Mr. Floyd was less than enough to bruise him."

"What gives me an advantage in my upbringing is the duality of seeing one of the most beautiful moments of me being 6 years old, to the most tragic moment of being 13 or 14, and make that connection so the person [listening] can really see the conflict. It was a mindfuck, for sure. I would wake up one morning, and it would be cartoons and cereal and walking back from school. And at 4 P.M., we’d be having a house party ‘til 11 P.M. . .. and people [were] shooting each other outside the door. That was my lifestyle. And it’s not only mine; it’s so many other individuals.’ And I wanted to tell that story."

"So today I laid in my bed, stared at the ceilin' Closed my eyes, then asked myself how I was feelin' I analyzed on how a saint can play the villain Is my life coincidental or just God willin'?"