“I think Hurricane Katrina has exposed America for what it is, ... I think it's bigger than black and white. I think it has a lot more to do with rich and poor. We've always known that America is a racially driven country. We front like it's all good, but we know the levels of racism that are in America. It shows that America doesn't give a damn about people in the hood, period.”
“[Banner is so committed to paving that road he even placed 5 golden tickets in select copies of his first album. Each lucky recipient got a $10,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.] The one thing I hate about America, ... is how they channel all these ideas to the urban community that are not conducive to us being functional people in America . They've got us thinking it's negative to be smart; that it makes you a 'nerd,' and that it's cool to be late for everything and be unprofessional. Whenever I do an interview I have to wait around for the writer because they just assume that rappers are always late. So I'm trying to show that there's nothing wrong with handling your business properly and doing what you're supposed to and that there's nothing wrong with being smart. Knowledge is what you need in order to survive!”
“The sad thing is that people are going to think this is a reflection of rap music. But it's not a reflection ... people have lives outside of the music.”
“My character is one of the few people in the town besides Lazarus [played by Samuel L. Jackson] that really understands this woman, ... He's a hustler but No one else believes in her and they all kind of get down on her. It's a real cool movie”
“It's about a white family and a black family living in modern day North Mississippi but the white family's mind set is that of 1869 and no matter what you do it won't change, they still think and talk the way they would in 1869, so it's really pushing it, ... My character is a member of black rock band who works at Sonic, but he is moving upward and is in direct conflict with the white family. I think that it's really going to push the envelope and address the issue of race relations in America, even if we don't want to.”
“Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a workaholic, ... I am just going to use this time while I am shooting the film to really rest. I am totally focused on acting because that has always been my dream. After we are done shooting, I am planning on starting the European tour to promote Certified and dive back into the swing of things with music.”
“There's a lot more we can do as artists, ... but I'm really, really proud of the rappers who have stepped up to help. I can honestly say that we've concentrated so much on helping because it's in our hearts and it's the right thing to do.”
