If you're looking for some serious inspiration from some of the world's greatest rappers, you've come to the right place. Below is a wide variety of quotes from all types of creators in the music world.
Whether you're a rapper promoting a new track on Soundcloud or simply a rap music fan looking for some effective motivation about life, a lot of the quotes below will be relatable to you and your journey.
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These quotes apply exceptionally well if you're a performer like me looking for some uplifting energy. Feel free to share this page of quotes if they speak to you.
Friends and family in your social media circles may need to have their spirits and energy lifted as well! Motivation is always a good thing to come by, especially for creatives.
"Rap is something you do. Hip-hop is something you live." - KRS-One
"If it’s in your gut, your soul, there’s nothing, no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression." - Kanye West
"Female rappers get it the hardest. You have to be a girl, yet you have to be just as hard as the guys. I think some female rappers get scared out of the business before they can make it." - Nicki Minaj
"I feel that when you care about your music, taking risks is something you should do to keep things exciting." - Drake
"My making it is a combination of grinding, grinding, grinding, and being lucky enough to finally get a shot." - Busta Rhymes
"You don't have to be a gangster rapper to be successful. You can do anything." - YG
"A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are." - Will Smith
"A goal is just a dream with a deadline." - Drake
"What separates those who go under and those who rise above adversity is the strength of their will and their hunger for power." - 50 Cent
"Never become so involved with something that it blinds you. Never forget where you from; someone will remind you." - DMX
"Every person walking has some kind of talent that they can get on tape." - Dr. Dre
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"Live your life to its fullest potential and don't really care too much about what other people think of you." - Lil Nas X
"I’ve done a lot of work to get where I’m at, but I have to keep working." - Wiz Khalifa
"You’ve got enemies? Good, that means you actually stood up for something." - Eminem
"Stay far from timid. Only make moves when your heart’s in it. And live the phrase ‘sky’s the limit'." - The Notorious B.I.G.
"I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem, or use my arrogance as a steam to power my dreams." - Kanye West
"You just have to find that thing that's special about you that distinguishes you from all the others, and through true talent, hard work, and passion, anything can happen." - Dr. Dre
"In the future, hip-hop is going to be called American folklore." - KRS-One
“Rap has been a path between cultures in the best tradition of popular music.” - Jay-Z
"Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words." - Nas
"House, rap, R&B, disco rock, they are all part of hip-hop culture. Why you ain't playing Kraftwerk along with Jay-Z? That's hip-hop." - Afrika Bambaataa
"What's more American than young people speaking their mind over things they had to create over pots and pans and electronically because music was taken out of schools? What's more American than making something out of nothing? What's more gospel than rap music?" - Killer Mike
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"If you like something, rock it. If you want to rock a cape every day, go for it." - Post Malone
"It's either you finna create your own wave, you finna sound like me or you finna sound like G Herbo, you finna sound like Chance The Rapper, you finna sound like Juice Wrld. You ain't gonna get too far 'cause you sound like somebody. So, create your own lane and do your own style." - Lil Durk
"I think everybody has their own inner rap spirit animal." - Lil Dicky
"If you stop at general math, you're only going to make general math money." - Snoop Dogg
"It's important for me to let my fans know I really don't care. I'm confident." - Drake
"They say a midget standing on a giant's shoulders can see much further than the giant. So I got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am." - Jay-Z
"If you live for people’s acceptance, you will die from their rejection." - Lecrae
"The question isn’t do he love ya the question is, do ya love yourself? You give the best advice to your friends and not take it for yourself." - Big Sean
"How many people you bless, is how you measure success" - Rick Ross
"To be a Hottie you gotta have a lot of self-love, a lot of confidence, you gotta be able to put your foot down. Hotties are supposed to turn other people into Hotties too. If you see someone that's not quite confident, you gotta be the Hottie to gas up your friend." - Megan Thee Stallion
"Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time." - Drake
"If your only intent is to be seen and loved, you'll never be seen. If your intent is to be happy, comfortable, genuine, and true in craft, you're destined to be noticed." - Doja Cat
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"I’m not a businessman; I’m a business, man!" - Jay-Z
"I try to treat all the money I’m making like it’s the last time I’m going to make it." - Eminem
The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams. - Tupac Shakur
"I'd rather have money and be broken-hearted than be broke and broken-hearted." - Cardi B
"My happiness doesn't come from money or fame. My happiness comes from seeing life without struggle." - Nicki Minaj
"Reality has its own power—you can turn your back on it, but it will find you in the end, and your inability to cope with it will be your ruin." - 50 Cent
"Don’t let the sadness from the past and the fear of the future ruin the happiness of the present." - Wiz Khalifa
"To appreciate the sun, you gotta know what rain is." - J. Cole
"Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow." - Jay Z
"Confidence literally starts from yourself. You have to go look in the mirror at yourself. If you don't like what you see, you're going to give off that energy." - Megan Thee Stallion
"When adversity strikes, that's when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on." - LL Cool J
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As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
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