"But once the man got you well he altered the native Told her if she got an image and a gimmick That she could make money, and she did it like a dummy Now I see her in commercials, she's universal She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle Now she be in the burbs lickin' rock and dressin' hip And on some dumb shit"

“We write songs about wrong cause its hard to see right”

“Never looking back, or too far in front of me. The present is a gift, and I just wanna be.”

“I fight, with myself in the ring of doubt and fear The rain ain't gone, but I can still see clear As a child, given religion with no answer to why Just told believe in Jesus cause for me he did die Curiosity killed the catechism Understanding and wisdom became the rhythm that I played to And became a slave to master self A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and his health My mind had dealt with the books of Zen, Tao the lessons of the Koran and Bible, to me they all vital And got truth within 'em, gotta read them boys You just can't skim 'em, different branches of belief But one root that stem 'em, but people of the venom try to trim 'em And use religion as an emblem When it should be a natural way of life Who am I or they to say to whom you pray ain't right? That's who got you doin' right and got you this far Whether you say "in Jesus name" or "Al hum du'Allah" Long as you know it's a being that's supreme to you You let that show towards others in the things you do Cause when the trumpets blowin', 24 elders surround the throne Only 144,000 gon get home”

“This industry will make you lose intensity”

“Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform “Glory” on the same bridge that Dr. King and the people of the civil rights movement marched on 50 years ago. This bridge was once a landmark of a divided nation, but now is a symbol for change. The spirit of this bridge transcends race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and social status. The spirit of this bridge connects the kid from the South Side of Chicago, dreaming of a better life, to those in France standing up for their freedom of expression, to the people in Hong Kong protesting for democracy. This bridge was built on hope, welded with compassion, and elevated by love for all human beings.”

“Took a picture of the truth and tried to develop it Had proof, but it was only recognized by the intelligent Took the negative and positive, cause niggas got to live Said I got to get more than I'm given Cause truth'll never be heard in religion After searching the world, on the inside what was hidden?It was the truth”