Quotes from No I.D.

If you look before the '90s, you might not find many - if any - albums with multiple producers. It just didn't exist in the history of music. That would have been like Michael Jackson telling Quincy Jones, 'Look man, I know we did well on 'Off The Wall,' but I'm hot now, and I need to see some other producers for 'Thriller.''

I've never been a mega-star. I'm more of a tastemaker of hip-hop. I try to be more of an ambassador for the era of hip-hop that I came in.

Don't ever judge anybody. You don't know who anybody is, period... You gotta humble yourself. Just because you are where you are, it doesn't mean you aren't talking to someone great.

I tried to embrace the concept of the sampler as an instrument, looking at how to take it artistically to another place where it can be appreciated, more than just taking someone's song and doing a 4-bar loop.

When people get to see me interact with the creative giants, they see the perspective and the respect. A lot of times, people don't have that respect, from a music perspective, with the music people.

I believe that when you really make the best music you can make from your heart, it will transcend all of those stereotypes, color issues, everything, because music is really made for human beings.

A lot of my favorite artists didn't sell much out the gate. I didn't with Common at first. Neither did first albums from Outkast, Nas, or Jay Z. It doesn't scare me.

Hit records create slang, and if you create slang, you get into a broader conversation level.

There's so many things that Kanye does that I agree with and disagree with at times. I just say, 'You're in a different place, and what you're doing is experimental. Nobody's been there in hip-hop.'

I don't care whether something makes one dollar or a trillion because guess what? I don't know many happy rich people. And I know a lot of rich people.

Trophies or no trophies, we are all just striving to do some really good art and help people's lives with it.

I've got a philosophy I call 'no dancing in the end zone.' You score, get back, and run another play.

After 'Resurrection,' I was getting calls for people to do work with me, and I was turning it down.

I don't speak out of place, but if you ask me, I will definitely speak the truth. Also, my opinion is my opinion. I don't feel the need to force anybody to agree or disagree with me. But if you ask me, I do feel it's important to speak with confidence about my feelings about whatever the questions are.

'I Used To Love H.E.R.,' from a production standpoint, was a brainchild of the style I developed on 'Soul By The Pound.'

When you really make things that really challenge the status quo or challenge issues, and you do it artistically, and you do it with no fear, people are listening.

I just want to work on music and make some new stars. I'm not interested in being a star.

I'm not interested in anything besides making some good music, helping some artists, being an executive. I'm pretty happy with that.

There's this concept in urban music and lifestyle that money is everything, and I'm just not with it. If it makes money, it doesn't make it good. If it's good, it's good.

When I do music, I have a hard time experiencing it like everyone else, because there's so much thought that goes into it. You can sometimes fool yourself into thinking it's better than what it is, which stops me from being creative on the next thing I do.

I have a Chicago personality, which means that just because I'm friends with one person, I don't assume I'm friends with his friends.