I am used to experiencing so much trauma, that when I see it, I have to speak out. I don't think rappers have a responsibility, but if you don't say something or be silent or avoid it, I believe it shows your true real character to the world. It's like, if no one wants to rap about gentrification then I am going to fill that void!

Punk is all about doing what you want and being yourself. And that's what rap is too.

When I released 'Veteran' and the reception was good, it was the first time I ever worked really hard on something and had that hard work reciprocated back to me.

Veteran' is an exercise in editing because there is a lot of moments I took out and some that almost didn't make it.

I'd never been to a festival till I played one.

There are so many odd things that happened that are centered around Britney Spears it's kind of amazing. There's just so many cultural moments centered around her existence and nothing else.

If you listen to my music, you know who I'm talking to, what I'm talking about, and exactly what my message is.

A lot of these dudes in metal, they're just mad at the world because, like... who even knows?

I think it's important for black people in general to be aware of what's going on and do what you got to work around it. Not bow down to it publicly.

Rules limit you, and once you start thinking about what the audience wants or expects, it becomes a trap that a lot of artists fall into.

Now that I have a little platform, and there are more eyes on me to release something, all that does is challenge me and put me under pressure, and I love being under pressure, especially musically. I might fail, but I'm excited about the possibilities.

I'd rather be dead than work in a warehouse.

It just seems like Baltimore, talent-wise, nothing can touch it.

I used to get stop-and-frisked every time I walked out of my house.

When I first heard 'Pearly Gates' by Mobb Deep and 50 Cent growing up, the rapper Prodigy had a line about wanting to beat Jesus up. I wasn't religious, but I'd never been introduced to something like that. I was scared and mad, but then I asked why I felt like that.

The way I make music, I know what I'm doing, because I been doing this for so long. This is the only thing I'm good at.

I grew up in Flatbush, Queens, Laurelton. These are places where it's mostly black and there was a lot of diversity.

Back in the early 1980s when rappers couldn't perform in the fancy venues because the police were too racist and scared, it was the punk venues letting them in to perform.

My music experience living in Baltimore was life-altering. To this day, there is no scene that works as hard or puts as much effort into their art.

I really got deep into downloading music when I moved to the South and got a computer. So I was downloading the The Diplomats, AZ, Half-A-Mil, 40 Cal.

When I die, I want people to be like, 'Respect the music.' I don't really care if you hate me or like me - what I want badly is the validation and respect of the people.

I been compared a lot to Brockhampton a lot.

I'm very much a person of free thought.

Whoever likes my music, I'm gonna reciprocate that same love back to them. I'm not trying to alienate anybody.

I see lots of people online making fun of me cause at my shows there's a bunch of white people.

I'm an artist but I'm also a real person. I have bills like everyone else.

Baltimore's just like, it's like being in prison but being on the yard the whole day.

I like for things to be judged fairly.

I love soundtracks. I used to have three iPod classics: one with regular music, one with soundtracks, and one with demos on it.

Rick Rubin is interesting. He doesn't wear shoes, I think? No wait, he wears shoes.

I was born in 1989. I literally watched 'Rocko's Modern Life' on live television.

When I take from my influences, it's rare that I do it literally.

The only real thing I took away from the military is that it just reinforced all the things I already thought about the underbelly of America, like how racist it is. So, it didn't really affect my music literally, but it affected the way I work on it.

I enjoy making music more than anything in the world. It's the only thing that it's felt the same since I was like 15.

One consistent good thing I can say about the music industry is that at least I can make music freely now, and I don't have to do it when I'm off of a nine to five shift or something.

I honed my craft in the military, because it's the only thing that got me through it, to be honest. Working on music - being able to come home and work on music whenever I got off - was essential. If I didn't have that, I probably would've lost my mind.

When you're you long enough, you get to this space where people start respecting you.