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To me, it's like happiness is about happiness, but happiness is a fight.

Mos Def

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Mos Def
Age: 51
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
Like
Fight
Fighting
Happiness

More quotes by Mos Def

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If it's just fame for the sake of being famous, no one even cares about you - and you don't even care about yourself because you're like, This is so ridiculous.
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What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets of words - that's magical.
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African art is functional, it serves a purpose. It's not a dormant. It's not a means to collect the largest cheering section. It should be healing, a source a joy. Spreading positive vibrations.
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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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All the things that are worth doing, take time.
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Bob Marley performed the 'One Love Peace' concert in Jamaica with the two different warring political sides. There's always been that in black music and culture in general. It's no surprise because black music is such a reflection of what's going on in black life. It's not unusual for hip-hop.
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We can be beautiful and feel beautiful about who we are everyday.
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Reckless capitalism kills black people.
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There's just some dysfunctionalism with artists.
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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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With guys I revere, like Marcus Garvey or Malcolm X, their look is less about style than purpose and the expression of beauty. It wasn't just about being noticed, you know?
Mos Def
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That's what I've been trying to strive for - to draw a clear picture, to open up a new dimension.
Mos Def
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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.
Mos Def
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I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice.
Mos Def
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When people say I don't see you enough, well just because you don't see me don't mean I don't exist or just 'cause you haven't heard me don't mean I haven't been making noise. But if I keep making noise, you'll pick up.
Mos Def
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Record companies are not necessarily interested in you realizing your artistic dream. The bottom line is that they got to sell records.
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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.
Mos Def
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Beef is not what Jay said to Nas Beef is when the working folks can't find jobs.
Mos Def
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I tell people all the time, I've always loved music and I love the language, which is a huge reason why I'm part of theater. But, I didn't wanna do all of this. I would've been satisfied to do it, like, on the weekends among friends, and to have a regular job.
Mos Def
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My presence speaks volumes before I say a word.
Mos Def