Hip-hop has taken a lot of different routes throughout the years, man. I've been around since 1986. Rakim More Quotes by Rakim More Quotes From Rakim A lot of reasons I didn't do records with people is because I never wanted their light to reflect on me. Rakim records light people My whole thing is if it wasn't for people like ya'll and people like them I wouldn't be me. I love every minute of it. Rakim minutes whole people You gotta let the fans shine their glory the way they want. It's like I have a million bosses and my job is to make them happy. Rakim boss shining jobs I love to see when people are real passionate about what they feel and what they say. Rakim passionate real people Once I finish one album I know where to begin again. Rakim begin-again albums knows You grow, you mature, you live, and you learn. You get a little wiser, and you learn better ways to handle things. Rakim grow better you mature The golden age was when people were starting to understand what hip-hop was and how to use it. I was lucky to come up then. Everybody wanted to be original and have substance; it was somewhat conscious... There was an integrity that people respected. Rakim understand age integrity people You've really got to appreciate an artist that's really outspoken and feels like his music can change the world. Rakim you music change world I don't believe in writer's block. I'll get stuck, but being stuck, I'll still write a verse. If you know where you're going, you can always start from there and work your way back. Rakim you work believe way When you look at hip-hop, I want to do that: to spit fire and take our best from the ashes to build our kingdom; to recognize all the regional styles, conscious lyrics, the tracks, underground, mainstream, the way we treat each other. Lose the garbage and rebuild our scene. Rakim best look you fire People think the older you get, the wacker you get. I think the older I get, the better I get. Rakim better think you people I try to make my flow sound like a John Coltrane solo. Rakim try like flow sound Music, life, a lot of the things that we go through in the world, a lot of questions that we have about the world inspires me. Rakim me music life world My thing was, I loved music. I played music: I played the saxophone. So the little bit of music knowhow I had, I tried to implement that in every thing I did, from my style, my cadence, the way I tried to pause and stagnate it; that all came from John Coltrane and listening to jazz albums. Trying to rhyme like a jazz player. Rakim loved style music way Without no disrespect to any artist, there's a lot of degrading music out there as far as degrading the culture and degrading society as well. That's individuals that choose to make that kind of music. Rakim music society artist culture Social media gives a lot of people a platform where they can express their feelings. I like to do mine through songs. I let info build up. In some way, it translates into paper whenever I sit down. Rakim down social-media people way When I broke up with Eric B., I went on a little hiatus. Then all I was trying do is find producers. It's real hard, man. Rakim find man real trying We need a few more Kanyes, people that's really passionate about hip-hop and who keep it alive. Rakim hip-hop need alive people The truth never wears out. Rakim wears out never truth I'm definitely one of them artists that loves putting the track on and having fun with it, but in my own way. Rakim having-fun my-own fun way
