El-P

When writing songs, especially if they're kinda semi-true to you, a lot of people hide behind whatever their idea of themselves is in the record, and every now and then, you might make a song that exposes something a little too much about you, and there's a part that doesn't want yourself to be exposed. ”

I reserve the right to think many different things and to change my mind and to even be wrong. ”

Anything that gets to the more emotional and dark side of music, I always enjoy. ”

Music can feel empowering, or it can give a natural emotional voice to something people can't express. This is why it's beautiful. ”

I grew up on listening to, like, Mantronix and BDP and EPMD and Kool G Rap and Ultramag and Public Enemy and Fat Boys and Run DMC and a lot of those early records, those Rubin-era records. Those were always snare- and stab-heavy records. ”

You've got to recognize it when it's time to go. ”

There's something in the German language that makes you feel like you're getting a hug and a backstab at the same time. ”

Run The Jewels, me and Mike, and our connection and everything, came out of a period of time where I had personally lost everything. ”

For me, the idea of releasing a free record is powerful if everybody gets it for free at the same time. ”

When I'm not feeling something, I have a very hard time doing it. ”