My inspiration is R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and Prince – for the vocals, anyway.

Everything that is new or uncommon raises a pleasure in the imagination, because it fills the soul with an agreeable surprise, gratifies its curiosity, and gives it an idea of which it was not before possessed.

The men I idolized built their bodies and became somebody – like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger – and I thought, ‚That can be me.‘ So I started working out. The funny thing is I didn’t realize back then that I was having a defining moment.

For me, writing a song, I sit down and the process doesn’t really involve me thinking about the demographic of people I’m trying to hit or who I want to be able to relate to the song or what genre of music it falls under.

Does wisdom perhaps appear on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion?

On Sundays when I speak, I hopefully give somebody something that they can use the next day at work or at home.

Almost everything that is great has been done by youth.

There are old heads in the world who cannot help me by their example or advice to live worthily and satisfactorily to myself; but I believe that it is in my power to elevate myself this very hour above the common level of my life.

I’ve had quite a lot of luck with dreams. I’ve often awoken in the night with a phrase or even a whole song in my head.

Any artist, the work you do, if it’s a painting or if it’s a performance, you hope it translates to a common denominator with the people that they see something in their own life in there. Or they see something in somebody else’s life. That’s what’s fun about sharing art.

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us.

Courage is knowing what not to fear.

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.

Anyone can be a Superman, but nobody can be Jackie Chan.

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.

One often makes music to supplement one’s world.

When younger writers and poets, musicians and painters are weakened by a stemming of funds, they come to me saddened, not as full of dreams and excitement and ideas. I am then weakened and diminished, and made less rich.

Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken.

Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.

World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.

Everything in the world exists to end up in a book.

There’s no formula.

While we may lose heart, we never have to lose hope.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.

Prince Charles is definitely my hero; he uses his position to do only good in this world.

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.

Today, I’d like to talk to Bob Marley. I’d just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I don’t know if people understand how powerful his songs are and the simplicity and genius behind them, from ‚Redemption Song‘ to ‚Is This Love?‘ and ‚I Shot the Sheriff.‘

Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.

I think maybe people see bands and musicians as some sort of superhero unrealistic sport that happens in another dimension where it’s not real people and not real emotions. So, I grew up listening to Beatles records on my floor. That’s how I learned how to play guitar. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be a musician.

Susceptibility to the highest forces is the highest genius.

We must rekindle the fire of idealism in our society.

It’s lack that gives us inspiration. It’s not fullness.

Green Eggs and Ham was the story of my life. I wouldn’t eat a thing when I was a kid, but Dr. Seuss inspired me to try cauliflower!

I think life on Earth must be about more than just solving problems… It’s got to be something inspiring, even if it is vicarious.

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.

The chief glory of every people arises from its authors.

Millions of people were inspired by the Apollo Program. I was five years old when I watched Apollo 11 unfold on television, and without any doubt it was a big contributor to my passions for science, engineering, and exploration.

When Hillary was First Lady, we went to the Beijing Women’s Conference. She courageously stood up and spoke out on behalf of human rights and women’s rights, inspiring millions to fight for a better future.

If I could write directly on a typewriter or a computer, I would do it. But keyboards have always intimidated me. I’ve never been able to think clearly with my fingers in that position. A pen is a much more primitive instrument. You feel that the words are coming out of your body and then you dig the words into the page.

We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future.

My mother is a strong, wonderful woman. I could never be anything she didn’t want me to be.

I was impressed with what someone like Karl Lagerfeld built and did and the house that he made, but there was never really a female figure I wanted to emulate.

Music is this divine thing, the closest that we can get to something divine. It’s like this instinct we all own, and some of us have found a way to hear that music and write it down and share it with people.

Man is only great when he acts from passion.

Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.

All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.

Aim for the sky and you’ll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you’ll stay on the floor.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best – make it all up – but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way.

My career as Nipsey Hussle is based on my life as Ermias Asghedom.

Sometimes you need faith and victory spoken over your life. Words have created power. When you receive them into your spirit, they can ignite seeds of increase on the inside.

That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.

The human race is governed by its imagination.

I’m not in control of my muse. My muse does all the work.

Sometimes you stumble across a few chords that put you in a reflective place.

See, when you drive home today, you’ve got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you’ve got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in your past is not near as important as what’s in your future.