Being called a conscious rapper is quite a compliment. It's a great thing to be. But as an artist, my nature is to not be in a box.
Talib KweliRead
My kids are the most inspiring thing that pushes me. It used to be because they were born, and I had to take care of them. Now it's because my son raps, and he's better than me. So now I gotta keep up with him, you know what I'm saying?
Interpretation
The quote expresses how children can inspire and motivate their parents.
In this quote, Talib Kweli shares a personal reflection on the motivation he derives from his children. Initially, their mere existence and the responsibility of parenting pushed him to improve himself. However, as his son has grown to excel in rapping, he feels a new drive to enhance his own skills to match or keep up with his son's talent. This highlights the profound influence children can have on their parents, not just as dependents but as sources of inspiration and aspiration.
In practice
During a motivational speech about the impact of family on personal growth.
Being called a conscious rapper is quite a compliment. It's a great thing to be. But as an artist, my nature is to not be in a box.
You know, I've learned a lot from every person I've collaborated with, from Madlib to Jean Grae and Hi-Tek, to Mos to DJ Quik, to even somebody like Jermaine Dupri. I've taken something important away from every experience.
I think hip-hop is no more misogynistic than America is as a society. I just think hip-hop is a lot more brash, a lot more bold, a lot more loquacious. There are a lot more words that go into a hip-hop song than go into a regular song.
If lyrics sold then truth be told/I'd probably be just as rich and famous as Jay-Z.
Life without knowledge is death in disguise.
I think the line is where you're in the studio, you're creating. That belongs to you as an artist. Nothing should taint that. I shouldn't be thinking about what the fans want, I shouldn't be thinking about what the radio wants, what the label wants, what your manager wants, a song for the chicks, a song for the street.
For me, already being part of a single parent household and knowing it was just me and my mom, you'd would wake up times and hope that the next day you'd be able to be alongside your mother because she was out trying to make sure that I was taken care of. But all I cared about was her being home.
A child cannot pay for its mother’s milk.
I was a child that both my parents wanted. I was told from the time I was born that I was totally satisfactory. I had a chance to be what I wanted to be.
All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Often, I am asked, 'What was your father like?' or, 'What would he think?' These are very difficult questions to answer, as I was so very young when I lost my father.
Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth.
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