Quotes By LL Cool J

I only do what comes from the heart.

Timing has a lot to with art.

The people who go get an LL album want to hear LL. They don't want to hear LL trying to sound like DMX or whoever else is out there. That's not what they want to hear from me, because if they want to hear that they can go get the real thing.

Once the referee throws the ball in the air, it's either your ball or their ball and you have to just take your shot.

I've never been one to have to manipulate women. I always want it to be like a mutual thing, like everybody loves everybody.

I just like to do different things. What is more important than the name is that people know that I really like acting, I enjoy it and I want people to know that I am serious.

That's one of the good things about music. You get to do it live, where you can touch the people and interact with them.

I think in order to keep America great, we have to keep America creative.

Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.

You've got to stay focused without being boring - because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Skinny, but dull.

I'm not trying to be new school and I'm not old school - I'm classic. There's a lot of new cars and there's a lot of old cars, but I'm just classic in doing what I do.

I'm good at what I do, but I wouldn't be so bold and arrogant as to say something disrespectful about, say, Eminem. He's talented and he's good at what he does.

Sometimes you've just got to grab an apple - or grapes, or strawberries. Something that's healthy but maybe a little bit more adventurous, if you can see fruit as adventurous.

I think that politics could be a positive thing. My beef is that people focus on the personal aspect of a politician too much. They should focus on the results.

I don't wanna abandon my identity as LL Cool J, but at the same time, I had to figure out how to let people know that I'm really serious about making these movies.

I've been training as an actor for six years. Nobody goes to acting school for six years. I mean, the college course is only four years! I absolutely trained.

Hip-hop can be limiting and I refuse to accept limits.

I was listening to Jimi Hendrix; I just admire his artistry and creativity as an artist.

I am artistic so I reserve the right to change my mind at any point. I just like to do different things. What is more important than the name is that people know that I really like acting, I enjoy it and I want people to know that I am serious.

What I don't do is try to like become whoever I'm rapping with. The people who go get an LL album want to hear LL.

As a black man, my hope is that I can touch more and more people all over the world of different races and different colours.

There's a lot of single black women who did the best that they could and that's a beautiful thing, but they don't know how necessary a father is in a kid's life and how much guys miss that deep down inside.

I just look at the high and bright side of things.

What I like to do is just make good music, good movies, hopefully perform a good show full of energy and just have some fun.

You can't let your past hold your future hostage.

I think fitness is important. I think a healthy lifestyle is important. I think putting positive energy out there is important and just staying connected with the people.

The secret to it all is just to enjoy what you're doing. This is not working at the coal face, this is not sweeping behind a restaurant. It's work, but it's not work. It gives me a different type of energy. I'm grateful for that.

I feel like my peers now are artists like Madonna and the Stones, Michael Jackson and Prince. These are people who were able to take their careers beyond the normal here-today-gone-tomorrow life span.

I think I'm the best, of course. How could I not?

At fourteen, I started sending out demo tapes.