Kanye West

I don’t really get nervous, I prepare. When the music messed up in the beginning, it tapped into my nerves and when you’re nervous and vulnerable, something special and something different can happen.

It’s like when you see all the slave movies. Why you gotta keep reminding us about slavery? Why don’t you show us – put Michael Jordan on a $20 bill.

Maybe I shouldn’t have these dreams and aspirations. Maybe I should have given up on life ten years ago and stopped fighting for my truth.

I don’t think Disney gets enough credit as a director. When people talk about their favourite directors of all time, Disney has some dope movies under his belt too.

We don’t want to be influenced, just informed.

So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye – just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are.

The number one reason people fail in life is because they listen to their friends, family, and neighbors.

Sorry it had to end this way but uh, it is what it is …

If you put that effort in, you’ll get what you want.

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities – always see them, for they are always there.

Public behavior is merely private character writ large.

Being comfortable can hurt your creative entrepreneurial spirit.

Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die.

When you’re young, you look at television and think, There’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that’s not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That’s a far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can shoot the bastards!

Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.

It is true that integrity alone won’t make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one.

Think BIG! You are going to be thinking anyway, so think BIG!

I like the person who commits and goes all in and takes big swings and then maybe fails; who jumps and falls down, rather than the person who points at the person who fell and laughs. But I do sometimes laugh when people fall down.

The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.

Excellence is attained when you care more than others think is wise; risk more than others think is safe; dream more than others think is practical; expect more than others think is possible.

I am a visceral person by nature. I act on instinct, quickly, without pondering possible disaster and without indulging in deep introspection.