What's interesting about the U.K. is that it celebrates an alternative voice. It's up for telling new stories. Riz Ahmed More Quotes by Riz Ahmed More Quotes From Riz Ahmed I think creativity is something that best happens when you have clear parameters. If you're not confined by anything then it's meaningless. You've got to rap over the beat, or you've got to color within your canvas. You pick the canvas size first. That makes most sense to me. Riz Ahmed creativity rap thinking Bandwagons roll through our lives. Its up to you whether you jump on them unquestioningly or jump on them to overturn them and subvert them. Riz Ahmed bandwagon our-lives up-to-you First, you have stereotypes, and that will be the black drug dealer, the east Asian kung fu master, the Middle Eastern terrorist in 'True Lies.' Then you have stuff that takes place on culturally specific terrain, that engages with it, but actually subverts assumptions. 'Smashes' stereotypes. That's where I've come into the game. Riz Ahmed drug games lying The music I make and the process of acting, for me, are both about trying to understand people and get inside what makes us tick. That's the main thing that excites me. Our sense of who we really are and what drives us. Riz Ahmed acting trying people You know my parents, man, they're just the most loving, encouraging... They're like those people who define themselves through their role as parents before people in their own rights. Riz Ahmed rights men people It's crazy how we always hate the things closest to us. Riz Ahmed crazy hate There's this thing, something in the water in America that is so intoxicating as well, that's like your dreams can come true. You can have it all. You can be the master of your destiny. There's this thing it encourages - this illusion of your significance. Riz Ahmed destiny dream water No-one gets a job at 16 and stays in it until 60 any more; we're connected to more people simultaneously than ever before, whether online or on our phones. We wear so many different hats within one day, one week, a lifetime. Riz Ahmed phones jobs people I'm working it out, man. I'm working through some stuff, trying to find my way like everyone. Riz Ahmed stuff trying men I think that in an Internet age, content is content. As long as you can stand up on the merits of what you're doing right at that moment and aren't just relying on your success in doing something else, it's all good; people will respect you. Riz Ahmed long people thinking My music is a very personal reflection of me, whereas, acting a role, thats a reflection of another character. Riz Ahmed acting reflection character The racism in South Asia is the most specific racism in the world. It's like racism against a slightly different language group. It's like micro-racism. Riz Ahmed different racism world The only people who have doubts about the sincerity of my music are people who come to it relatively late, off the back of having seen me in a film. Acting is about being other people, and music is about being myself. Riz Ahmed acting doubt people I think that with piracy and tighter funds being around, people are realising that the game to play is to try and win people's respect with bold film making and then win a special place in people's collections, rather than just having the biggest opening weekends. Riz Ahmed weekend winning thinking I go to a lot of stand-up comedy. I find more inspiration from observational stuff than from rap. Riz Ahmed rap inspiration stuff I have always been restless, had a lot of energy. Riz Ahmed restless energy The camera or the microphone in the booth is merciless. If you don't believe what you're saying, it hears it. If you don't believe it, it sees it in your eyes, it hears it in your voice that there isn't the conviction there. Riz Ahmed voice eye believe Trajectories aren't linear. Life's just a roller coaster. If you're getting a chance to do cool stuff, and it's varied stuff, just enjoy it. I guess I'm a believer in the randomness of life rather than it being a linear trajectory or an arc, a consistent smooth arc, towards anything. Riz Ahmed cool you enjoy life As a minority, no sooner do you learn to polish and cherish one chip on your shoulder than it's taken off you and swapped for another. The jewellery of your struggles is forever on loan, like the Koh-i-Noor diamond in the crown jewels. Riz Ahmed crown your you forever Since the Greek myths, the greatest stories are premised on the idea of, 'A stranger arrives.' Riz Ahmed idea greatest myths stranger
