I can't look at TV without seeing something that's been influenced by rap. Even commercials for cereal. When I was small, I was a fan of cartoon characters - now the cartoon characters are rapping! Rakim More Quotes by Rakim More Quotes From Rakim When I started rhyming, my favorite rhythms were from John Coltrane and some of the things he did on sax. And certain rhythms that I hear on drums, I try to emulate with my words, dropping on the same patterns that them beats or them notes would hit. Rakim words some try things My approach to writing rhymes went hand in hand with the music. I'd try to make different rhythms with my rhymes on the track by tripping up patterns, using multi-syllable words, different syncopations. I'd try to be like a different instrument. Rakim words try music writing When you listen to old-school music, you can smell your mother's food in the kitchen. You can feel where you was when you first heard that song. That's what's beautiful about music. It's for everyone, but we all have individual memories that make us love it. Rakim music beautiful love memories I had a lot of respect for Prodigy. He brought the hood to the booth. When we were trying to shape this rap thing into something, he was one of the cats I respected for bringing the hood into the booth. Rakim cats hood respect trying Hip-hop has taken a lot of different routes throughout the years, man. I've been around since 1986. Rakim hip-hop man different years My thing is, you have to let young artists be young artists. Rakim thing artists you young The young kids out there doing their thing, I can't knock them. Rakim knock out doing young