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What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends.

Mos Def

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Mos Def
Age: 50
Born: 1973
Born: December 11
Actor
Composer
Film Actor
Film Producer
Rapper
Record Producer
Singer
Singer-Songwriter
Songwriter
Television Actor
Brooklyn
New York
Yasiin Bey
Dante Terrell Smith
Dante Beze
Black Dante
Economy
Ability
Language
Use
Ends
Take
Imagery
Like
Effective
Writers

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Crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients Youngbloods can't spell, but they could rock you in PlayStation.
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Breathe in...inhale vapors from bright stars that shine, Breathe out...weed smoke retrace the skyline.
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I don't rap like nobody, I don't try to sound like nobody.
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Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it's a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I've done quite a bit with that name. [But] it's time to expand and move on.
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That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn't be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind.
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To me, it's like happiness is about happiness, but happiness is a fight.
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I think hip-hop is actually one of the most challenging things that's happened in music in a long time. The people who are in charge of what people see or hear are afraid. What you hear on top 40 or what you see on BET or MTV is not a fair representation of what is really going on...
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I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice.
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If Islam's sole interest is the welfare of mankind, then Islam is the strongest advocate of human rights anywhere on Earth.
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I'm a passionate person. I'm a lot of things, like most people are. Most people are dynamic. The focus is not on me though, I'm a screen. The aim is to always keep myself in the position where the screen is clear.
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You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions.
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The moment you start thinking it's hopeless, then it is. [But], if you think it's gonna get better, it really does. Life is a test.
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Restlessness is my nemesis. It's hard to just chill and sit still.
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Reckless capitalism kills black people.
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I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it.
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There are a lot of people who call themselves teachers or leaders, but they're really just propagandists.
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Focused. I'm a hustler. And my hustle is trying to figure out the best ways to do what I like without having to do much else.
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So rather than really have, like a close relationship to anything that's coming out today, people are just, they've got it on as background music. It's kind of the same way the cabdrivers use music it's very disposable. But, that doesn't mean there aren't a great number of artists who are doing things to change that.
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I don't care about what brand you are, I'm concerned what type of man you are, what your principles and standards are.
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I just don't think it's very dignified to ask people to like you. You can just wind up being somebody's ottoman.
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