A visit to the hood through a record, or through a video, or through a film, is a lot safer than actually visiting the people in real life. It became a business model. It became a revenue engine that, you know, you can get to the hood without ever going there.

Chuck D

Categorized in : People Real Records

If I can't change the people around me, I change the people aroun... by Chuck D

If I can't change the people around me, I change the people around me.

cant-change ifs people

Being positive is like going up a mountain. Being negative is like sliding down a hill. A lot of times, people want to take the easy way out, because it's basically what they've understood throughout their lives.

being-positive mountain people

Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding don't come out of the microwave. You got to keep moving forward because the evil doesn't sleep.

evil sleep moving

Our freedom of speech is freedom or death, by Chuck D

Our freedom of speech is freedom or death,

rap hip-hop fighting

Cause I'm Black and I'm proud by Chuck D

Cause I'm Black and I'm proud

hip-hop black hero

Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for and you will... by Chuck D

Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for and you will receive more to be grateful for.

be-grateful grateful each-day

Culture is this thing that we can exchange among ourselves as human beings to knock aside our differences and build upon our similarities. Cultural exchange is the ultimate exchange.

similarity differences culture

I came from a mother and father who always made me secure in my beliefs, and that's where the love came from.

belief mother father

It's weak to speak and blame somebody else by Chuck D

It's weak to speak and blame somebody else

blame rap hip-hop

Never have so many men treated women like our foes. They call 'em hoes, but they might as well call them foes, 'cause you are totally against the existence of somebody who should live their life as an equal human being. If not, any man knows, it's like we're not equal. You know, women are usually a little better than us.

When culture is created in boardrooms with a panel of six or seven strategists for the masses to follow, to me that is no different than an aristocracy. It's not created from the people in the middle of the streets, so to speak. It is created from a petri dish for the sake of making money, and it is undermining the longevity of the culture.

aristocracy different people

Minds are the real estate of the 21st century. by Chuck D

Minds are the real estate of the 21st century.

century real mind

I got a letter from the government the other day by Chuck D

I got a letter from the government the other day

rap hip-hop government

I think right about now we have to beware of marketed Malcolms and Martins. Real people do real things.

real people thinking

Rap comes from the humble beginnings of rebelling against the status quo. Now, rappers have become the status quo themselves. You can't rebel against the Queen and then become the Queen yourself. I attribute much of the blame to testosterone-male dominance and patriarchy.

rap queens humble

I spread the message of hope and of unity. That's what gets me up in the morning. I can tell you what is wrong, but I can't tell you how to fix it. I'm a raptivist, not a politician. I deal in hope.

unity messages morning

Bigger doesn't mean better unless you really understand what bigg... by Chuck D

Bigger doesn't mean better unless you really understand what bigger is.

The best American is one who considers themselves as a citizen of... by Chuck D

The best American is one who considers themselves as a citizen of the world.

best-american citizens world

The best way to boycott is to build your own by Chuck D

The best way to boycott is to build your own

boycott best-way way

Music used to cause revolutions and I'm not seeing much revolutio... by Chuck D

Music used to cause revolutions and I'm not seeing much revolution anymore.

revolution used causes