Daveed Diggs

Typically, my advice to young artists is not to wait for someone to allow you to do the thing. Just do the thing, and they'll catch up. ”

Writing rap songs is about flow, about one word blending seamlessly into the next and creating a thing that is possible to perform in a way that feels natural. ”

I've been sort of gentrification-obsessed. Right before I left Oakland in 2012, I was feeling it. Now I go back sporadically, and the change is drastic. ”

I sort of have this feeling about change in general. We can make baby steps on a macro level. We can try to shift policy, voting and changing who's in office. But we can make huge, sweeping changes on a personal level and in your immediate circle, or just the people around you. ”

There's no reason for somebody who's good at writing rap to be good at freestyling. They're different parts of your brain. You can develop both skills. I'm a much better writer. ”

I'm an artist, so days don't start on any regular time. ”

I call myself a nerd all the time. ”

TV is really about keeping things fresh and making sure you have the most energy possible for these very short spurts of time. ”

College was the first time I felt I really had to choose who my friends were. ”

I think rappers spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is new. 'How can I say this in a way that no one has ever said it before?' ”