Jay Rock

My mother is home. Your mother is your home. Everybody is a momma's boy or a momma's girl. That's where we came from, from a woman's womb. She always gave me good advice because mothers know best at times. She gives me advice and I take it, run with it and share that with somebody else.

When I was about 17 or 18, I would go through my boy's garage and they had a little studio set up. I would just play around there.

I started writing poetry when I was in the fifth grade, just rhyming in class.

Growing up in the projects, I've been around music all my life. Marvin Gaye, everything man.

I done been to so many funerals.

If I could help every ghetto, I would.

I help my loved ones.

I remember back in the days my Mom didn't have enough for Thanksgiving.

I took it upon myself to give back to my 'hood.

A lot of haters been downing me but I never gave up and that's what the fans love.

From where I come from, it's gutter, dog. I look back on that and I think, 'That's strong.' Without growing up where I came from, I wouldn't be the man I am today, a strong minded individual.

I wanted Jordans, but I had to get Rugged Outbacks. I had to take it for what it was worth, but now I'm able to give back and it feels real good.

I fell in love with rhyming when I turned 13. I was in junior high. I got into it, but I wasn't serious. It was just for fun.

When I was 6, 7 years old, I was raised on all the old-school stuff. My momma used to play oldies in the house. That's all my momma used to play around the house was oldies.

I been around negativity all my life. To do something positive, it's a beautiful thing.

Starting out in Watts, I can say I really had a love for music.

Just make good music.

I was one of those young cats and knuckleheads that was hard headed, that didn't listen.

What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong. That's how I live my life.

I lost a lot of homeboys growing up, a lot of family, at early ages.

I always wanted to do a record called, 'The Three J's,' because you got me, Jay Rock, you got J. Cole, and you got Jay Z. I thought that it would be dope. I said, if I couldn't get Jay Z, we'll get Jay Electronica.

I want to motivate people because I know how it is, struggling, and coming from a place where you have nothing. So my thing is to motivate people to let them know whatever you put your mind to, or whatever you love to do, then stick with it and don't give up.

If you listen to the old Rock I always had one tone of rapping, but now I'm learning how to stretch out my voice and use it in different ways.

E-40 taught me a long time ago to try different things with my voice, experiment, and only roll with it if it feels right.

At the end of the day, I had to learn that it's all about having fun... na'mean?

My mom used to always read Bible scriptures to me and constantly say, 'Charity starts at home.' I always kept that in my mind and watched how it came to reality.

Shout out to J. Cole. We come from the same type of struggles. He put the real in his music, I put the real in mine.

That's what Watts stand for, it taught me how to survive it taught me how to be a man.

I love women. I love 'em to death, but sometimes you have to be careful. Sometimes these women out here play games, too.

I just fell in love with the music, man. The music just took control. It really saved my life.

Never give up, because at the end of it all we all trying to win.

Whatever you're trying to do, wherever you're trying to go in life, whatever you got your mindset on, stay there.

Don't let nobody try to stop y'all from doing what y'all trying to do man.

The hood always got my back.

Money can make or break you. It just depends on what you make it to be.

My craft's been rising. I'm a student of the game and I'm still growing.

I worked with Busta back in the days, shoutout to the OG Busta Rhymes.

I always had a thing - just take care of family.

It's crazy how Tech N9ne was back home in L.A. He knew about my situation, what I was doing, trying to find other labels. He used to always call. 'Let me know what's up, man. We got room for you over here.' We appreciated it.

I was on Warner Bros. for a minute.

We just need more father figures and more older people to come and school these youth, because there will be a lost generation. And that's what a gang's supposed to be, protecting family and doing what you've got to do for your loved ones.

I've got big homies that done been through the same thing I've been through and they made it out, changed their life and they come back and snatch young cats up and lecture them and let them know right way to do it.

With gangs, there could be a positive outlook because it takes the older guys to come school these younger guys on the right roles.

My little bro Kendrick Lamar. I've been saying it for the times even when I was on Warner when everybody knew him as K-Dot. I used to tell people all the time, watch when K-Dot step out the box, he's going to be a problem.

One thing I learned about Tech N9ne is just hard work. That dude don't sleep. I ain't ever seen this dude really sleep.

Everybody knows how hard Jay Rock is.

When the time right, you might get a Black Hippy album.

That's what it's about. Bringing unity, so our kids can grow up safe.

We don't care who you is - Blood, Crip, Mexican, Chinese. You feel me? If you about doing something positive with yourself and your community, let's join forces together.

I've been able to win a Grammy and then to come back and get the key to the city of Watts.