“Rap has been a path between cultures in the best tradition of popular music.”

“While the patriarchal boys in hip-hop crew may talk about keeping it real, there has been no musical culture with black men at the forefront of its creation that has been steeped in the politics of fantasy and denial as the more popular strands of hip-hop.”

“Popular music is a microcosm of the culture, Eliza. It reflects the mentality of the population.”

“Throughout the history of our civilisation, two traditions, two opposed tendencies, have been in conflict: the Roman tradition and the popular tradition, the imperial tradition and the federalist tradition, the authoritarian tradition and the libertarian tradition.”

“Popular culture has made it okay to yell "I want a man!" from the rooftops, so why are we still embarrassed to say, "I want a best friend"?”

“Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.”