Hip hop is a gift that I feel blessed to be able to share with the world. I believe expression through rap is an important outlet and a way to tackle certain social issues that many Americans find it hard to talk about in the traditional sense.

I write songs about some of the less glamorous realities of life but I write music primarily to make people think, to encourage conversations, and hopefully educate and inspire listeners—whether they agree with what I say or not—to do something about it. Some of my songs like “I Can” explicitly demonstrate this idea.

I also think it’s important to get involved, like I did by performing at a concert at Virginia Tech after the tragedy there, and through my work with the Hip Hop Action Network and NBA Star Chris Webber’s Foundation that promotes education and recreation for disadvantaged youth.

My newest LP, entitled N*gger seeks to continue the discussions about race and discrimination in this country. It’s taking a lot of heat and stirred a lot of talk, and that’s what I aim to do, start a revolutionary movement to dispel the epithet that has plagued our country’s history for more than a century. I want the music to inspire positive change.