Kanye West

That one by one by one we can defuse this nuclear bomb of hate that we’re in as a society by thinking of everyone as our family.

When you want to express yourself, a lot of times words can get in the way.

[on his SNL performance wearing a MAGA hat] They bullied me backstage. They said don’t go out there with that hat on. They bullied me backstage. They bullied me.

I used to always feel awkward around a lot of rappers. Other people came from hustling and all that. Sometimes it was harder to relate. People would look down on me for the way I dressed, because my raps weren’t really that good – it was like, ‘Just shut up and do beats.’

Come on now! How could you be me and want to be someone else?

The whole concept for the Yeezus album is that we’re not going to be using CDs in the future and since this is the last time we’re going to see it, this is an open casket for the CD.

If you must listen to bad music, please use headphones.

What have I got? No looks, no money, no education… just talent.

When I decided that I wanted to be a Jazz musician, I knew that it was about improvising.

The blues fitted in with the early 60s, the social way of life at the time.

If one were asked to name one musician who came closest to composing without human flaw, I suppose general consensus would choose Johann Sebastian Bach.

What kills me is that everybody thinks I like Jazz.

Too many young musicians today want to win polls before they learn their instruments.

Jazz is about being in the moment.

Words are the children of reason and therefore can’t translate the feeling of Jazz because they’re not part of it.

Whenever I’m in Kansas City, I think back to all the jazz-blues greats who played the blues here – like Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Jay McShann. I watched those guys jam in different places and heard a lot of things – but I couldn’t do what they did. They were too good.

When Bird came on the scene, it was shocking as in the Bible: everything was dark and then there was light.

Only the French, I guess, really use tenor and alto to any great extent in the orchestra.

Anyone who understands Jazz knows that you can’t understand it. It’s too complicated. That’s what’s so simple about it.

Look for the one who’s not smiling and play to that person. Once you’ve got that person, you’ve got the whole club.

I say this because it’s a good message to give to young talents who feel as I used to. You hear musicians playing with great fluidity and complete conception early on, and you don’t have that ability. I didn’t. I had to know what I was doing. And ultimately it turned out that these people weren’t able to carry their thing very far. I found myself being more attracted to artists who have developed through the years and become better and deeper musicians.I believe in things that are developed through hard work.