A poet’s mission is to make words do more work than they normally do, to make them work on more than one level. —Jay-Z
The thing about hip-hop today is it’s smart, it’s insightful. The way it can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable. —Barack Obama
Hip-hop saved my life, man. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been even decent at. I don’t know how to do anything else. —Eminem
Love yourself and your expression, you can’t go wrong. —KRS-One
I guess hip-hop has been closer to the pulse of the streets than any music we’ve had in a long time. It’s sociology as well as music, which is in keeping with the tradition of black music in America. —Quincy Jones
Hip-hop is still cool at a party. But to me, hip-hop has never been strictly a party; it is also there to elevate consciousness. —Saul Williams
I think a number of the leaders are, whether you like it or not, in the hip-hop generation. And when they understand enough, they’ll do wonders. I count on them. —Maya Angelou
The jazz I love is sweet and pure with raw elements, which is exactly what the good hip-hop is doing now. —Amy Winehouse
The way you respect hip-hop is by being true to yourself. —Lil Dicky
Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps. —Chuck D
Hip-hop became the voice of rebellion and the youth, as rock music did in the ’60s. —Gza
Well, hip-hop is what makes the world go around. —Snoop Dogg
Hip-hop is the people. What the people are moving toward is what hip-hop is. I think people are moving toward a freer way of thinking. Openness. —Erykah Badu
A lot is said by the fact that you are unlikely to listen to an entire album by an African American rapper without coming across the word ‘police’. —Mokokoma Mokhonoana