I never wanted to just glamorize the playa lifestyle and not touch on the down side. I wanted everyone who’s in a desperate situation to know that, if they wanna choose that kinda lifestyle, they gotta be aware of everything that comes with it! It’s not just about the cars, the ladies and the money. Jay-Z Read Quote
The burden of poverty isn’t just that you don’t always have the things you need: it’s the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you’d do anything to lift that burden. As kids, we didn’t complain about being poor; we talked about how rich we were going to be and made moves to get the lifestyle we aspired to by any means we could. Jay-Z Read Quote
I listen to everything – from Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette all the way down to rap like Scarface, UGK and Lauryn Hill. Jay-Z Read Quote
Successful people have a bigger fear of failure than people who’ve never done anything because if you haven’t been successful, then you don’t know how it feels to lose it all. Jay-Z Read Quote
I am against discrimination of any kind, but if I make snap judgments, no matter who it’s towards, aren’t I committing the same sin as someone who profiles? Jay-Z Read Quote
Just strengthening that theme that America is a place of opportunity and hoping to inspire people to fulfill those opportunities, and to want more, and to want better, and to see the places we can go. So many people identify with me because of the place that I come from. Jay-Z Read Quote
I was never a worker. And that’s not even being arrogant. I was just never a worker. Jay-Z Read Quote
I think in London – and I don’t wanna offend anybody in America, but this is a real statement – they still have the right approach to making music. In the U.S., people see it as a way to make money; they see it as a means to get out. It’s a hustle, which is great – any way you can provide for your family that’s legal is fantastic. Jay-Z Read Quote
It wasn’t until sixth grade, at P.S. 168, when my teacher took us on a field trip to her house that I realized we were poor. I have no idea what my teacher’s intentions were – whether she was trying to inspire us or if she actually thought visiting her Manhattan brownstone with her view of Central Park qualified as a school trip. Jay-Z Read Quote
With rap, you go in the studio, you make music, you put the music out, then all of a sudden, you’re a star: you have a big record on the radio, and you’re on stage, and you’ve never done it before. Let’s say your first show is ‘Summer Jam,’ and you’re in front of 60,000 people, and you’ve never played an arena, ever. You’re gonna suck. Jay-Z Read Quote
