"In kindergarten I had to draw a picture of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I drew a rapper. I didn't really know what a rapper was or what they did - I just wanted to do it."

"I want to produce a country album for a country singer."

"The diverse sound of my music makes it a good fit for that demographic."

"Rap is something you can just throw on the skillet and fry up real quick. That's how it comes to me, my train of thought. It's like getting dressed - I don't have to sit down and stare at clothes, I just pick what I like and put it on. But rock, you gotta put it in the oven and let it bake."

"If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both."

"I give a speech to the black freshmen at Harvard each year, and I say, 'You can like Mozart and ice hockey...' - and then I used to say 'golf,' but Tiger took over golf! - 'and Picasso and still be as black as the ace of spades.'"

"When you master your attention, you master your entire perception of reality. Remember this in moments of decisive trial — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"I'm a terrible interviewer. I'm not a journalist - although I have a Peabody Award - and I'm not really a late-night host. What I am is honest."