Dave East

I want to be one of the greats. I feel like the money and all that is going to come, but I want to be a name that, like, when you say Nas or Jay Z, that's forever. ”

I think what sets a New York rapper apart from other rappers from other places is just being from New York. ”

I never thought I'd be sitting across the table with the owner of Hennessy. ”

You can't turn fame off regardless if you're a platinum-selling artist or you're in jail every week. If you're famous, you're famous. You're in the headlines either way you go. ”

My journey is self-made because I came from nothing. It's the best feeling now, because I don't really feel like I owe anybody. ”

I feel like a lyricist is somebody that writes their own lyrics. Now songwriters and lyricists are two totally different things. You can't really be a lyricist if you didn't write your lyrics. There's no passion, there's nothing in it coming from you. It's somebody else's feelings and you just taking it and running with it. ”

I'm never gonna sell my soul or violate myself for no amount of dollars or fame. ”

I always tell people, I never get writer's block because it's coming straight from my brain, like, real-life experiences. I'm like the news. I'm just reporting it for myself. ”

Islam really brought a discipline to my life that I didn't really have before. My old mindset was if they ain't helping me, I ain't helping them, but you can't live life that way. ”

I stand out. I don't really think I fit in with the 'what rap is' today. I feel like I stand out because I'm talking about me and my homies and stories from my life. I ain't really trying to have you turnt up all day. ”