Nas People Quotations

Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.

Some people say I'm conscious, some say I'm a gangsta rapper - it's just me doing me. I'm stomping in my own lane. I'm doing what I do.

I never stood for any president in my life, never voted, before Barack Obama. It changed my life to vote. It starts there with me. I never cared for politics before Barack Obama. I never thought it mattered to people like me.

I don't get jealousy, I don't get how people hate each other - I never did.

There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people would respect it.

I definitely have plans to do more collaboration albums in the future. I'm a big fan of Common. I'm a big fan of Scarface; I'm a big fan of so many people, from Jeezy to... well, there are a lot of people's music that I respect. I don't know who I will collaborate with, but there's a great chance of something happening.

I can't control what people think. They know who I am.

People afraid of criticism but I always put myself in a sacrificial position,they been know I ain't just rappin for fame

The Internet made the world smaller, so it's easier for people to hear your music. You don't necessarily need a radio record.

I think more people want to be rappers than anything else.

I've met a lot of people and happened to inspire a lot of people who I'm in conversation with about business. It's just how things are going for me and it's great, but music is always going to be number one for me.

I got the opportunity to meet people all over the world. Brilliant women, tall women, short women, slim women, thick women, you name it. But, I don't meet them. I have the opportunities to and it's a little bit - I'm a little shy, so I don't meet them and I don't know who's right for me.

I'm inspired by people like Nelson Mandela. Can you imagine - you know how racist America was back then - imagine how racism was in South Africa when he had to stand up and say what he had to say. That's bravery beyond comprehension.

People have stopped battling in hip hop, in the primitive sense, and the focus of the competitive element has shifted to the music. It's less about bragging and more about being the best lyrically and poetically.

Hip-hop is such an amazing thing that kids still want to do it. They're not saying, "Ugh, that's the old people's music." No, they're younger than they've ever been that want to get into hip-hop music.

People give me a better understanding on things that I said, or a different way to look at it.

I wanted to say what wasn't being said. I wanted to give people a real story. I wanted people to know people like me exist in the world.

Some people work hard to be something that they're not, and I don't work at all, I'm just me. And that can bother anybody I'm not working nearly as hard as the other guys, and they don't like it.

Always observe, watch, and talk to older people.

I don't respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge, Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance. Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple; Folks, take care of your brothers, niggas do as I do. Keep your enemies close, where they can see you. It's not your enemy who get you, it's always your own people.

I talk about Africa and its meaning, being the birthplace of man and all that great history that's been erased and even hidden. I think it's my duty to be proud and to bring about the conversation that allows us to talk about the great history of my people.