As a rapper, I was heavily influenced by American rap albums. But for songs that are more melody-driven, I get my inspiration from Korean albums.
I'm a different type of rapper. I work more than the average rapper.
Nas' longevity comes from him having strong lyrical value in his songs, him being more like a poet and improving over time.
People in rock had this idea that rappers aren't talented. In my opinion we're better writers, we think deeper, and our concepts are harder - Rap evolves faster than any other genre.
I was just trying to fit into a certain spectrum. Just like, basic rap.
When I'm not in the booth, I'm one of the most laid-back guys. But growing up, I liked DMX, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and T.I. - dudes that went all out on the track. My first songs were energetic because I liked their energy.
I feel like with a lot of Madlib's beats, they are made for storytelling. I feel like when I'm working on stuff with him, I can really get into the storytelling aspect mode of my flow.
I'm pretty sure people thought I was like a dope rapper.
I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it feels like it.
When I was in middle school, that's when I first started making beats. I was maybe 14, 16, something like that.
I got FL studios; I looked up how to make beats and how to record myself, and then I just started making music from there.
'Been That Way' is a song that Timbaland gave me. Actually, the beat is. And then he called me to come out there to Miami. I went out there to work with him, and he gave me two beats for my project. One was 'Sorry Not Sorry,' and the other one was 'Been That Way,' and I recorded both of them in my hotel.
I think the best rappers practice concept albums in their work.
Kanye is producing in the true sense of the word. 'Real Friends' was an idea started by me and Boi-1da. We passed it off to Kanye, and Kanye kind of stripped it down and had Havoc add some drums to it. Kanye had the vision. That's really true-school production.
When it comes to the music, the traits you got to have in order to make lit music, club music, to have the swag with it, to have the lingo - I got those traits, you know what I mean?
Premier came into the picture when were starting to make our own beats and all that.
I would collaborate with James Franco as a rapper any day.
My core thing is gangster rap, but a lot of my music is melodic and carries a message of survival.
Rap is still an art, and no-one's from the Old School Cuz rap is still a brand-new tool
I was already writing poetry, so I transitioned from writing poetry a cappella to writing over beats, and it was way more exciting to me that way.
Dubstep has everything for me. Rhythm, sound design, heartfelt emotion - all in one place.
Rap music deserves truth, and it deserves spontaneity.
In the late '80s and early '90s, there was a slightly retro drum sound that was popular in hip-hop music called the 808 bass drum sound. It was the bass drum sound on the 808 drum machine, and it's very deep and very resonant, and was used as the backbone as a lot of classic hip-hop tracks.
I got tired of everybody repeating the same phrases in the hip-hop world.
'Solja Rag' was designed for Juvenile. It wasn't one of them beats where I was gonna chop it and see who I was going give it to: it was Juvenile all over it.
