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
Everything’s got space between it, the planets, trees, your eyes. Your eyes get too close together, it’s a whole different world. You can lose perspective. – Mos Def
I guess something that you love to do, you gotta ease up off it and give it a little space, come back and be fresh to it. – Mos Def
I come from a family of very devout, praying people. That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn’t be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind. – Mos Def
That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn’t be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind. – Mos Def
I know what it feels like to have the door slammed firmly in my face, so I’m cool with that. – Mos Def
I don’t hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people – and they’re helpless with it. – Mos Def
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 and it’s time to expand and move on. – Mos Def
I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice. – Mos Def
It wouldn’t be fair to cast aspersions on an entire cultural movement based on the actions of a few. To quote my grandfather, ‘One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch.’ – Mos Def
I’m an independent thinker. And I’m not the poster child for any movement. I’m trying to support whatever’s right no matter where it is. – Mos Def
I’m not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that’s a buzz kill. There’s got to be a better code of conduct, some basic etiquette. – Mos Def
I have no confidence issues with the impact or the quality of the music. No one in hip-hop, before this point and to this point, with all due respect, has done this. – Mos Def
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. – Mos Def
You’re not gonna get through life without being worshipful or devoted to something. You’re either devoted to your job, or to your desires. So the best way to spend your life is to try to be devoted to prayer, to Allah. – Mos Def
I didn’t want to have to deal with having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as. – Mos Def
To me, the job of the artist is to provide a useful and intelligent vocabulary for the world to be able to articulate feelings they experience everyday, and otherwise wouldn’t have the means to express in a meaningful and useful way. – Mos Def
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
I was taught when there’s somethin’ you can change around keep quiet, you got nothin’ to complain about. – Mos Def
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. – Mos Def
I feel like I was the only person who was capable of making this type of music in this type of way. I don’t rap like nobody, I don’t try to sound like nobody. – Mos Def
I get reminded a lot of the time that my life is a little bit different, but I’m just trying to keep it as regular as possible because I like it that way. – Mos Def
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. – Mos Def
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. – Mos Def
I don’t have advice for people on how to dress. People should dress based on what they find beautiful. My best advice: Keep your clothes clean. – Mos Def
