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

Chuck D

Categorized in : Moving Sleep Evil

People are so confused about race and hip-hop that people didn't even consider the Beastie Boys one of the greatest rap groups of all time because they were white.

confused rap boys

Don't anoint me when you can anoint yourself. by Chuck D

Don't anoint me when you can anoint yourself.

I think the problem for the future generations is a lot of people ain't takin' the time to look for them and give them their voice, so therefore for their voice to be heard, they gotta bang more pots on the ceiling, so to speak; they gotta do crazy things just to get recognized. I just feel that whenever you don't give a generation some kind of voice, then expect side effects.

voice crazy thinking

If you have no soul you can gut it out. You know, like a marionette, you'll just follow what seems to actually give you whatever you ain't got.

guts soul giving

Find like-minded people and try not to be individualized to the point where you try to fight it all and think about it all on your own.

fighting people thinking

A lot of artists have been persuaded into doing whatever they can do to gain attention. The media, of course, will position and promote the worst of them to the front page. The sidewalk to crime becomes the marketing campaign. These artists have seen it work and sell millions and millions of records for other artists.

marketing media artist

Let the voice be the voice of the voiceless and let it come from the world of rap music to keep the stereotype and the peace at the same time.

rap voice world

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.

records real people

Rappers should just be able to perform what they create and satisfy the people that like and love them.

rapper and-love people

We don't see the people who are doing real things getting enough props. We often see politicians who are everywhere but nowhere at the same goddamn time. You know the kind of person: You see them everywhere on television but nowhere in front of your face.

real people television

Oh, America is slipping away from the rest of the consciousness o... by Chuck D

Oh, America is slipping away from the rest of the consciousness of the planet - slipping away.

slipping consciousness america

I think the problem for the future generations is a lot of people ain't takin' the time to look for galvanizing artists and give them their voice, so therefore for their voice to be heard, they gotta bang more pots on the ceiling, so to speak; they gotta do crazy things just to get recognized. I just feel that whenever you don't give a generation some kind of voice, then expect side effects.

crazy artist thinking

Music should be some kind of nourishment. by Chuck D

Music should be some kind of nourishment.

nourishment kind should

Where else can you go with respect to the work, lyrics, and message of the music? If you are past high school age, you can get by with saying very little the first or second time around. However, after a while you know you are going to have to say something beyond high school stuff.

age past school

Most artists are always fighting for their fame. They have that fear, like the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." They need to keep themselves out there. I have never had that fear. If I have any fear, it's not doing enough to reach people.

fighting artist sight

I don't have any exteriors that would actually put me into some kind of different air that would actually intimidate somebody to stay away from me.

different kind air

I adhere to the philosophy, "I don't care who writes the laws, le... by Chuck D

I adhere to the philosophy, "I don't care who writes the laws, let me write the songs."

writing song philosophy

Corporations have steered the industry into what it wants, and a lot of times they will make artists record what it wants or to make songs talk to who they want to talk to. But sometimes the heart and the head have to be able to talk and deal with a situation that's evident.

artist heart song

Try to do your best to look people in the eye and talk to them without a gadget being in between you all the time.

eye trying people

The powers that be are trying to meld, shape, and corral the culture of hip-hop into another speaking voice for the government.

hip-hop voice government