Mos Def Quotes

I don't care about what brand you are, I'm concerned what type of man you are, what your principles and standards are.

Fear not of men because men must die. Mind over matter and soul before flesh.

I dreamt that I could paint you with words, but there were no colors bright enough, black or white enough, blue or green enough...they didn't mean enough

Make today's solid ground out of yesterday's quicksand.

Good art provides people with a vocabulary about things they can't articulate.

They say that when a man faces his destiny, the destiny ends and he becomes the man that he really is.

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.

My presence speaks volumes before I say a word.

That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn't be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind.

I don't want to waste anyone's time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift.

Peace before everything, God before anything, Love before anything, real before everything, Home before any place, shoot before anything, Style and state radiate, Love Power slay the hate.

Hip-hop is a beautiful culture. It's inspirational, because it's a culture of survivors. You can create beauty out of nothingness.

Don't look down, it's an impossible view; Fly like an eagle whatever you do.

You want to know how to rhyme, then learn how to add. It's mathematics.

Hip-hop is the last true folk art.

The moment you start thinking it's hopeless, then it is. [But], if you think it's gonna get better, it really does. Life is a test.

We can be beautiful and feel beautiful about who we are everyday.

I'm an independent thinker. And I'm not the poster child for any movement. I'm trying to support whatever's right no matter where it is.

I ain't no perfect man I'm tryna do the best that I can with what it is I have.

Restlessness is my nemesis. It's hard to just chill and sit still.

Breathe in...inhale vapors from bright stars that shine, Breathe out...weed smoke retrace the skyline.

Focused. I'm a hustler. And my hustle is trying to figure out the best ways to do what I like without having to do much else.

I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it.

And from the moment that I saw you, I knew you was trouble, But I disregarded detour signs, And did not stop til you was mine. I guess God was like, 'Aight, fine.' Careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it in heaps. Try to give it back, He be like, 'Nah, that's yours to keep.'

Young bloods can't spell but they could rock you in PlayStation...

Yo, it's 1 universal law but 2 sides to every story, 3 strikes and you be in for life, mandatory. 4 MC's murdered in the last 4 years, I ain't tryin to be the 5th one, the Millennium is here. Yo, it's 6 million ways to die, from the 7 deadly thrills, 8-year olds gettin' found with 9 mill's. It's 10 P.M., where your seeds at? What's the deal?

I'm not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that's a buzz kill. There's got to be a better code of conduct, some basic etiquette.

I get reminded a lot of the time that my life is a little bit different, but I'm just trying to keep it as regular as possible because I like it that way

It's possible and available to any artist to be himself or herself on their own terms, to be accepted and embraced by black people. You don't have to be a thug to get love from black people.

I want to be necessary and do good works. I ain't here to waste nobody's time, because I don't want you to waste mine.

I guess something that you love to do, you gotta ease up off it and give it a little space, come back and be fresh to it.

It wouldn't be fair to cast aspersions on an entire cultural movement based on the actions of a few. To quote my grandfather, 'One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch.'

I'd bet a million dollars on DOOM against Lil' Wayne

All the things that are worth doing, take time.

Twitter freaks me out. You have followers? It feels so obsessive and proprietary.

When people say I don't see you enough, well just because you don't see me don't mean I don't exist or just 'cause you haven't heard me don't mean I haven't been making noise. But if I keep making noise, you'll pick up.

My Umi said shine your light on the world, shine your light for the world to see

This thing called rhymin' is no different than coal minin'; We both on assignment to unearth the diamond.

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.

I'm just an artist and I'm doin' what I like to do.

The test in life nowadays is just trying to keep yourself charged up with enough good feeling. It's like, "OK what am I going to do to feel really good today?" Not like, some chick or a drink.

Beef is not what Jay said to Nas; Beef is when the working folks can't find jobs.

Crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients Youngbloods can't spell, but they could rock you in PlayStation.

To me, it's like happiness is about happiness, but happiness is a fight.

I don't have advice for people on how to dress. People should dress based on what they find beautiful. My best advice: Keep your clothes clean.

I'm a passionate person. I'm a lot of things, like most people are. Most people are dynamic. The focus is not on me though, I'm a screen. The aim is to always keep myself in the position where the screen is clear.

I'm blacked than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle

There are a lot of people who call themselves teachers or leaders, but they're really just propagandists.

Reckless capitalism kills black people.

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis. Shinin', like "Who on top of this?