Quotes About Artistry

Guru's like Tupac. He just records and records and records.

Tupac was the first artist that I really related to.

I wanted to be like Tupac.

I don't know rap. I can't tell you a Tupac song. But you put on some go-go, and I'll know it word-for-word. That's why I feel like I got my own sound - or a D.C. sound.

'Dear Mama' is my favorite song from Tupac, man. It touches you, and I think that that's the most important thing with music.

Growing up, you hear Tupac's music, it's kind of like... it goes without saying that everyone likes Tupac.

It's not that I don't care how I look, but I'd rather turn the attention to the music as much as possible.

The whole thing with recording is you have to know when to turn off the tape machine and just stop recording because you want to keep fixing, fixing, fixing, you know?

You look at 30 Seconds to Mars, and you don't think, 'Ooh, I bet they're angry.' No one really does anger these days. I suppose it's a turn-off.

When somebody turned me on to a Coltrane record around seventh grade, I took up saxophone.

Know, thou, that the lines that live are turned out of a furrowed brow.

'Love Tattoo' I recorded without a record company. I'd gotten turned down by the record companies - they said they didn't get me, which is fine, I suppose.

I turned everybody on so, psychologically, I guess I was pushing the boundaries creativity.

I was following my muse and I was very fortunate in having good people around me and it turned out to be a pretty good recording in my opinion.

I've worked with lots of musicians - like Tina Turner - and I love when they go in front of the fitting mirror and do their thing, pose, dance. I love that moment!

I saw Nichelle Nichols in 'Truck Turner,' and she was so good.

What I'm wearing changes everything about how the show goes. If I'm wearing blue jeans and flannel, it's going to be a country show, and I'm going to get my twang on. But if I'm wearing a flapper dress, fringe or sequins, I'm rocking out, Tina Turner style.

Alex Turner is one of my heroes - his lyrics are genius.

All the theories that acting is reacting to imaginary circumstances as though they are real, and directing is turning psychology into behavior, those are all stabs at something that can't be taught. All the great actors can't talk about what they do, and they don't want to begin to talk about it. They just do it.

Technical things are getting more mechanical. Take 'Swan Lake,' the Black Swan pas de deux. Now, my goodness, they're turning not just 32 fouettes - but double or triple pirouettes.

As an actor, acting is like playing a sport. You do this thing that's intangible, and while it's happening, it's great. But then when it's done, there's really no tangible product. Someone else is capturing it and turning it into something tangible.

We lived in Atlanta for a couple of years, and had a lot of fun, but my best work happens when I isolate myself. It's all about turning inward.

It's not the case of turning in a bunch of songs and recording the next month. I think you're looking for songs all year long and you're writing all year long.

You don't always have to have a record out. I'm not a sausage factory, you know, turning out records every year.