I think if I’m serious about affecting people with music, I have to affect people on a human to human level, not on a grand social idea or political idea, it has to be a human being idea so it has to be what’s inside a human being.
The more red meat and blood we eat, the more bloodthirsty we get, the more violent we get. The more vegetarian food we eat, the more peace is taken into us.
This dragonfly came up to me. He was hovering right in front of my face, and I was really examining him, thinking, How does he see me? I became enlightened.
I prefer the country life. I live in Kingston, but there is lots of trees.
God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.
My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for the sake of other members of my group when I shouldn’t have, because I was right in the end.
Using political tools to change social conditions won’t work.
The idea of who my father is to me is very different than who he is to you, or to the rest of the world.
My father’s songs don’t intimidate me; my father’s songs are my songs. My songs are his songs. There’s no intimidation.
Some of my songs I don’t do on tour because they don’t work well live.
I want the people who listen to my music to feel the feeling that I feel, to cry the cry that I cry – justice. I want them to feel in their hearts the need for justice.
People have to know there is more to living than physical things.
Sometimes my mistakes turn into interesting music because I do things that aren’t supposed to be done.
People love me everywhere I go.
My father speaks for himself, through his music.
The last thing my father told me was: ‘On your way up, take me up. On your way down, don’t let me down.’ A father telling his son that puts some responsibility on my shoulders. He told me that, and I take it very seriously.
I think the people should have a right to boycott whoever they want to boycott without the government making them into criminals and try to protect corporations from people. They should protect people from corporations.
I don’t like to do things for any other reason than it happens spontaneously or there’s something that makes it happen naturally. I don’t like putting down too many plans and trying to do a strategy to get a certain response or a certain effect.
Growing up, music was an important part of my childhood. I see it being just as important in my children and all children’s growth and development, and in a parent’s connection with their children.
The African-American community still needs to come together as one and stand up for rights of the people and of what’s happening in their culture, their community.