When I came into the music, I was forced to be a CEO. I was forced to be an entrepreneur; I was forced to... because I was looking for a deal. I didn't have this grand scheme of starting a record company and then morphing into a clothing empire.
More Quotes by Jay-Z
Belief in oneself and knowing who you are, I mean, that's the foundation for everything great.
I think in London - and I don't wanna offend anybody in America, but this is a real statement - they still have the right approach to making music. In the U.S., people see it as a way to make money; they see it as a means to get out. It's a hustle, which is great - any way you can provide for your family that's legal is fantastic.
I love what I do, and when you love what you do, you want to be the best at it.
My mom always taught me - you know, little boys listen to their moms too much - that whatever you put into something is what you're going to get out of it.
As kids we didn't complain about being poor; we talked about how rich we were going to be and made moves to get the lifestyle we aspired to by any means we could. And as soon as we had a little money, we were eager to show it.
I don't sit around with my friends and talk about money, ever. On a record, that's different.