SonReal quotes:

I think the new school is dope. Artists like Kid Cudi, The Cool Kids, Drake and Wale can come out of middle class homes and be on tracks with people like Jay-Z, who's from the hood and the street.

I'm working on a mixtape called I Made Hip-Hop Smile. It's going to be a free online mixtape. I think it's going to get some crazy buzz. We have a few marketing campaigns, that I think are going to make it pull through.

Goodlife was originally a ski management/athlete management company. I have a couple friends who are sponsored for skiing and my manager linked up with their manager. We worked out a deal, because they wanted to branch out into music and culture.

I'm always gonna rap. Rapping's what I started doing, I even sang when I first started rapping, when I couldn't really sing at all but I always tried.

Me, personally, I'm just happy. I have a great mother. I have two great sisters. I couldn't ask for more. I'm healthy. I do what I love.

That's one of my struggles as a hip-hop artist. If I feel like doing a super conscious song where I don't even rap.

I'm kinda like a needle in a haystack right now cause I haven't blown up yet...

I'm tryna put out the right stuff and just do me and not pay attention to who's hating and who's loving me and make the music I love to make, and make it the best I can.

I'm just gonna do my own kinda swag of kinda dumbing something down and speaking some knowledge.

Even when I write a song, lots of times I think - I wonder what my dad would think of this song.

I live with all these people, I live with four people that are involved with my music and I call 'em my team and that's what we call GoodLife...

I think the sports industry and the music industry are all tied in together.

I think vulnerability is one of the most amazing things about music.

I would hope when I do blow up that I can keep that same mentality. I think I will because I'm the kinda dude that no matter how far I take something, I always wanted to be higher.

I'm just starting to take some more voice lessons but hell no, I'll always stick into the hip-hop genre.

I'm more motivated, and I'm just working harder every single day, so it shows in the music, and it shows in the fan base, it shows in all areas when you're bringing it like that.

A couple years ago it was really hard for me to sing, because there's so much pressure in hip-hop to be a certain way. My biggest thing right now is doing me, because I'm not like other rappers.

I've also worked with various producers and artists around the world, which has helped with my international recognition. We've sold a lot of albums online in places like Norway and France. Sometimes we track my hits online daily and we are getting regular hits from people all over the place.

I work with a lot of production that's really positive and contains a lot of soul stuff. Those instrumentals project the happiness out of me. But, sometimes I get a darker beat, with some dark piano or something... and then I'll do darker tracks.

Nobody's gonna ever like all my music but if your talking about the core hip-hop fans that like hardcore rap, they're still gonna feel some of my stuff cuz I rap hard a lot of the time.

Even if you don't sing on your tracks, if you know how to sing, it'll probably help you out.

I always use familiarity in my music, whether it's in my song writing or whatever.

I feel like I've got the skills to be at the top, I feel like I've got the mind-state, so basically what I'm saying is there's people all around me, there's artists all around me that are in my zone, but I still feel alone. I feel like I can't relate to them as much as I can related to maybe somebody that was a little bit higher up.

I found myself at a time in my career trying to impress everyone. I was constantly thinking about what everyone thought of my music.

I guess sacrifice inspires my vulnerability, sacrifice and just having good people around me.

I just know that there's a spot for me in the industry.

I think every rapper should know how to sing, like a little bit. I mean common man it'll make your rapping better straight up.

I think my music has a big message, and I think when people really get into it, it does help their life sometimes. It inspires me; it's my favorite part about my job.

I'm from a middle class family. I didn't grow-up rich, but I didn't grow-up poor. Each guy has to stick to his own story.

I'm just gonna be honest and if I feel something, I'm just gonna say it! Once I started doing that, my music just got better.

I'm really just tryna bring it home for my city, I'm trying so hard to be the best I can be on every record I do, every feature I do and every different city I go to.

It's basically me saying to the industry that I won't work within the walls in hip-hop. I want to put a twist on things, and that's what that song is all about. It's about putting a twist on stereotypes.

Its just tryna impress the world and then realizing that, that doesn't even matter really, you gotta impress yourself.

I've never been the type of artist to plateau or have a big peak in my career and then a big decline.

Look at somebody like Drake, the guy is one of the most vulnerable. He says exactly what's on his mind and that's why I respect him.

My first official music video for "Who Am I." It's getting crazy traffic and a lot of hype. I got sponsored by a company called MATIX because of it.

My good friend Josh Bibby happens to be a pro skier and has used my music in 2 international ski films.

My struggle and my story is very much so somebody that was just kind of [an] underdog. I didn't have any cosigns, I wasn't even really good at rap, I'm one of those dudes that was never just crazy and amazing, I had to work my f***ing ass off to get good at this stuff.

No matter how high I get, I always wanna humble myself.

Not everybody is gonna like every track on my record ever!

People know who I am, but I'm feeling so lonely in the middle area, because I feel like I should be at the top.

Privacy I think gets invaded when you start being honest.

This album [Stroll] and all my songs that break barriers are more reflective of my personality.

Throughout the whole Stroll album, I'm breaking barriers. Whether I'm doing acoustic hip-hop, singing my own hooks or singing my own verses... There's always going to be people who don't like it, cause they're stuck in their ways, or they just don't like you in general... but it's been good.

Usually when fans find out about my music for the first time, they're like "Oh this guy's actually for real!" And it's just like yea, you found Waldo.

When I wake up in the morning, I've got a coffee and I'm in my own home studio just chilling... I make happy music.

Who knows what the future holds but I think I'll always be that dude that can run hooks, and do hooks for other artists, and really know how to make a catchy hook.