Quest M.C.O.D.Y.’s Advice To Michigan Artists

You have cats from all over Michigan. You got dudes in Detroit, you know about the history with Breed in Flint. You got cats in Grand Rapids and Saginaw and everywhere else. What advice do you have for these cats who are trying to get into hip-hop? What do you suggest that they do?

A few things. First, they need to respect the people who came before them! Respect Esham. Respect Breed. Respect Em & Proof, Respect Dilla! Understand That! And respect the Black Milks, the Guilty Simpsons, the Quest M.C.O.D.Y.s, the Marvwons, respect them too. A lot of times people get things twisted and they take for granted the people that they have here. I did a show last night, and instead of giving me my just due and letting me come out and do my thing, let me come out and rock, there’s people like “Well, he ain’t fuckin’ wit my homeboy!” And the thing is, it’s not about that. I earned everything I have and I’m gonna earn more. A lot of people feel like they gotta take something away from someone to build themselves up.

So I tell a lot of up and coming cats to just do what you do! If you the best, be the best! If you don’t feel you the best, then you don’t need to be rappin. I don’t have to be better than your favorite rapper, I’m just different. If you rappin and you don’t think you the best rapper, then quit rappin!

…If you not putting your all into what you doin’, then stop! My main message is grinding. Don’t let the world make you. Make the world. If you’re at home and you’re watching TV, and you see Lil’ Wayne doing something or Jeezy do something and you say “That’s what I wanna do”, then you’re as transparent as the TV is, and if you turn off the TV then you won’t know what to do. I’ve been being me. I’ve been being Kimani Graham all my life. I’ve been being Kimani Graham way longer than I’ve been being Quest M.C.O.D.Y. so it’s idiotic to believe that I’m gonna be able to make it being anyone other than who I’ve been all my life. If they don’t like you, then at least you know they don’t like you! I think I’d live a lot better knowing that people didn’t like me, rather than knowing that they like me for something that I’m not!