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I always found very strong images for my songwriting in New York.

I considered moving to New York or Los Angeles, but they're two of the hardest places to move to when you're just starting out in a band.

I actually started playing in little cafes around New York, and I have a lot of good friends of mine who are musicians who are struggling in New York.

There's almost nothing worse to live with than a struggling artist.

The advice I have for new artists is this - write great songs and play them live as often as possible. Get residencies all over town and crush it.

I don't know many artists who've come out of Beverly Hills, y'know? You need that struggle.

Many artists who don't go off to art school come to New York. It's about what you learn when you're here.

I just can't live in New York anymore.

I kept saying that I'd never live in L.A., and I didn't think I would. But that's where the work is, and I ended up making a lot of friends there, and my old friends moved out to Los Angeles too. And also, I think when you're famous, its hard to live in a small town.

No city owns me, you know what I'm saying? I'm from New York, but no city owns me. Nobody can bottle up my sound and box me in. Yes, I am a rapper, but am I a New York rapper? No. I am from New York, I love New York to death, but I will not conform myself to one place, no.