Being Poet Laureate Made Me Realize I

My Father Is A Chemist, My Mother Was A Homemaker. My Parents Instilled In Us The Feeling That Learning Was The Most Exciting Thing That Could Happen To You, And It Never Ends.

There Are Times In Life When, Instead Of Complaining, You Do Something About Your Complaints.

Don't Be So Fast, You're All You've Got.

I Never Think Of My Audience When I Write A Poem. I Try To Write Out Of Whatever Is Haunting Me; In Order For A Poem To Feel Authentic, I Have To Feel I'm Treading On Very Dangerous Ground, Which Can Mean That The Resulting Revelations May Prove Hurtful To Other People. The Time For Thinking About That Kind Of Guilt Or Any Collective Sense Of Responsibility, However, Occurs Much Later In The Creative Process, After The Poem Is Finished.

Rap Is Only One End Of A Whole Spectrum Of Verbal Play And Virtuosity. Rap Is Geared For Aural Pleasure.