My Umi Said Shine Your Light On

With Guys I Revere, Like Marcus Garvey Or Malcolm X, Their Look Is Less About Style Than Purpose And The Expression Of Beauty. It Wasn't Just About Being Noticed, You Know?

It's Difficult To Really Be An Artist Nowadays. People Are Just On Another Page. You Have A Society That Needs You To Say Something, But They Don't Want To Give You The Environment To Be Able To Be Just A Functioning, Happy, Normal Person. It's Like, The Industry Is At Odds With You, The Society Is At Odds With You. You Start To Live In This Very Confined Box Where It's Like, It's "me" And "them."

I Learned [playing Chuck Berry] That There's Something To Be Said For The Courage Of Conviction, That Sense Of Belief, Being Bold Enough To Believe In Your Vision. And There's A Quote That Really Fits His Particular Energy. It Says - They Say Don't Go Where The Path May Lead, But Go Where There's No Path And Leave A Trail. I Think That's Exactly What Chuck Did, You Know. It's An Inspiration To A Lot Of Folks, Not Just Musicians, But People Everywhere.

You Can Positively Affect And Change A Social Circumstance With Art, And It’s Vital That A Change Happens Now.

You Have To Be An Extremist To Believe That You're Gonna Be The President Of The United States And Your Name Is Barack Hussein Obama! And He's Using Extreme Methods, But His Application Is Very Smooth. Michelle Obama Is Extreme, Her Presence Is Extreme. And It's An Extreme Good. Extreme Is Not Negative.