It’s one thing to be the greatest; it’s another thing to be necessary. The best are the most necessary: those who take less than they give and love more than they hate. Mos Def More Quotes by Mos Def More Quotes From Mos Def What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. Mos Def economy language use I'm growing as an individual, but your always growing. All of my albums are snapshots of where I am artistically. Mos Def snapshots growing albums I'm doing exactly what I was supposed to do. Yeah. I didn't exactly choose this. My own life, if it were up to me, would be very, very quiet. I'd be like a shopkeeper, a book collector, or something like that. I'm not like this. Myself as a performer and an artist is totally different from who I am. Mos Def who-i-am artist book People don't like the music that's out now, that's on their radio stations, and they want to hear something different, but they're just the audience. You know, people will keep the TV on even if a show is on that they hate - because, unfortunately, they've been programmed to do that. [But] they are really looking for something that's gonna speak to the world that they're living in. That's what people are looking for, but they're not finding it. Mos Def different hate people Hip-hop is rock & roll. What the hell is Wu-Tang but Motorhead? Mos Def rocks hips hip-hop I don't rap like nobody, I don't try to sound like nobody. Mos Def rap sound trying There's just some dysfunctionalism with artists. Mos Def artist Young bloods can't spell but they could rock you in PlayStation... Mos Def rocks young blood If it's just fame for the sake of being famous, no one even cares about you - and you don't even care about yourself because you're like, "This is so ridiculous." Mos Def ridiculous care sake I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice. Mos Def nice stars ambition I'm inspired by playwrights, novelists, poets: The value of language has been a lifelong passion of mine. I enjoy it. I'm good at it. Mos Def novelists passion language I'm retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I'm actually doing it. Mos Def funny-retirement retiring names That's what I've been trying to strive for - to draw a clear picture, to open up a new dimension. Mos Def strive dimensions trying I don't wanna get into that space where a lot of guys now, their solo album is like eight or 10 songs with other people, you don't get an idea of who this guy is. I just wasn't interested in that. Mos Def space song ideas I've been fortunate with my acting career. A lot of scripts come to me. I don't mind auditioning if something that requires that, but I haven't had to in awhile, which is a nice place to be 'cause I've been on quite a lot of auditions in my life. Mos Def nice careers mind Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it's a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I've done quite a bit with that name. [But] it's time to expand and move on. Mos Def names years moving Crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients Mos Def rap mother baby Man, I smashed her like an Idaho Potato Mos Def rap sex dirty Breathe in...inhale vapors from bright stars that shine, Mos Def rap weed stars Speech is my hammer bang the world into shape now let it fall - HUNGH Mos Def bangs hammers fall