Every true hustler knows that you cannot hustle forever. You will go to jail eventually.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I cleaned up my act, and I made this rap thing work for me. I thought people would respect me for that. But instead, it's, 'Oh, he's sold all these records, and now he thinks he's all that.'

- The Notorious B.I.G.

How real can your music be if you wake up in the morning hearing birds and crickets? I never hear birds when I wake up. Just a lot of construction work, the smell of Chinese takeout, children screaming, and everybody knocking a different track from 'Ready to Die' as they pass down the street.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

Back in third grade, they used to say, 'Take whatever talent you have and think of something you can do with it.' I liked to draw, but what could I do with it? Maybe I could be an art dealer - nah, can't see myself doing that. Maybe I could do commercial arts?

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I'm not a security-type person: I don't want to have bodyguards around me. I'm not into all that.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I'm definitely a writer. I don't even know how to freestyle.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I hold grudges, but I can't hate nobody; that's not my nature.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I grew up in some suburb, I'd come out with a song about potholes in my lawn.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I can't even see me wasting my time or my talent to disrespect another black man.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I can't even say Puff and me are like brothers, 'cause we closer than that.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

The second time I went to jail, I was like, 'Okay, this is not the move.'

- The Notorious B.I.G.

My real life helped me sell a lot of records.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

You gotta mature, you know.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

Please, all you MCs out there, all you fans out there, don't think Big gonna make a record dissing 2Pac or the West Coast because it's not going down like that. I cant even see me wasting my time or my talent to disrespect another black man.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I'm basically different things to different people. If it's a guy, I'm-a probably have my guard up because it's a street rule that when men come around that I don't know, I just immediately throw shade on them. But I don't associate with fellas all that much; if it's a girl - a beautiful girl - I be nice.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

'96 is the year of love. We all need to pull together.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I'm making music for the people. If y'all love the music, y'all gonna buy the music.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

Growing up in the streets of Bed-Stuy, it was hard, yo.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

I can't never stop nobody, can't knock nobody hustle.

- The Notorious B.I.G.

With big folks, either people think you look mean or it's more of a jolly Santa Claus, 'Oh, he's just a pudgy little teddy bear pillow.'

- The Notorious B.I.G.