I dont want to waste anyones time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift. – Mos Def
I cant control what people think. Im not trying to manipulate peoples thoughts or sentiments. I write all the time. You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions. Its machine-like how things are run now in hip-hop, and my ambitions are different. – Mos Def
With guys I revere, like Marcus Garvey or Malcolm X, their look is less about style than purpose and the expression of beauty. It wasnt just about being noticed, you know? – Mos Def
I began to fear that Mos Def was being treated as a product, not a person, so Ive been going by Yasiin since 99. At first it was just for friends and family, but now Im declaring it openly. – Mos Def
I never appreciated positive heroes in literature. They are almost always cliches, copies of copies, until the model is exhausted. I prefer perplexity, doubt, uncertainty, not just because it provides a more productive literary raw material, but because that is the way we humans really are. – Jose Saramago