John Legend famous quotes

We have a serious problem with incarceration in this country. It's destroying families, it's destroying communities and we're the most incarcerated country in the world, and when you look deeper and look at the reasons we got to this place, we as a society made some choices politically and legislatively, culturally to deal with poverty, deal with mental illness in a certain way and that way usually involves using incarceration.
-- John Legend

#Country #Choices #Community

I just want it to be timeless and timely at the same time.
-- John Legend

#Want #Timeless #Timely

The future started yesterday, and we're already late.
-- John Legend

#Yesterday

There's a lot of hurry up and wait. But it gives you time to write a song.
-- John Legend

#Song #Writing #Giving

Soul is about authenticity. Soul is about finding the things in your life that are real and pure.
-- John Legend

#Inspiring #Real #Soul

Music, to me, if it's good, it's good. That's all that matters.
-- John Legend

#Matter

I have a structured songwriting process. I start with the music and try to come up with musical ideas, then the melody, then the hook, and the lyrics come last. Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about and they just write a whole bunch of lyrical ideas, but for me the music tells me what to talk about.
-- John Legend

#Writing #Ideas #People

Critics like to describe and categorize things, and categories often have a way of limiting people.
-- John Legend

#People #Way #Categories

When we see people that are impoverished and people who are dealt an unfair hand, then if we have the power to help them, we should try to do that.
-- John Legend

#Hands #People #Trying

I keep learning, listening, growing and experimenting.
-- John Legend

#Listening #Growing #Keep Learning

Musicians are in-season all the time.
-- John Legend

#Musician

There's so much music out there, and so many different styles that I've been influenced by, so each album reflects some of that knowledge or influence that I've had.
-- John Legend

#Style #Different #Albums

Experience is a great teacher.
-- John Legend

#Teacher #Reality #Experience

My line is probably a little more conservative than some of my compatriots in the business. But again, I think it's all - like, it just - it comes down to me knowing who I am and knowing how I want to be seen in the world, how I want to discuss things.
-- John Legend

#Thinking #Who I Am #Knowing

Why wouldn't I help? What good reason do I have as a human being with power and a sense of empathy and morality, why wouldn't I do something?
-- John Legend

#Helping Others #Empathy #Morality

People see me as pretty low key in a lot of ways. And for me, like, even choosing to be John Legend and to be who I am as a star, as an artist, it's a risk 'cause I - you know, I graduated from college and worked as a management consultant, and I could have had this very kind of buttoned-up life and worn suits to work every day.
-- John Legend

#Stars #Artist #College

We're just ordinary people. We don't know which way to go.
-- John Legend

#People #Ordinary #Way

I do speak to kids a lot. I am very clear with them that not all of them should aspire to be me and not all of them should be aspire to be LeBron.
-- John Legend

#Kids #Speak #Should

There are more black men incarcerated today than there were slaves in 1850.
-- John Legend

#Men #Black #Today

I listen to all those kinds of music, from classic soul to hip-hop to Brazilian music to, you know, jazz to indie to alternative. And for me, when I'm making music, it's all in my head, and all those influences in my head. So if something comes to me that's a reference from a different genre then people are used to hearing from me, I'm not afraid to go there with it.
-- John Legend

#People #Hip Hop #Soul

My head’s under water but I’m breathing fine
-- John Legend

#Breathing #Water #Fine

To me, as a musician, there aren't any boundaries genre-wise as far as what can you listen to to inspire you.
-- John Legend

#Wise #Inspire #Musician

You can always find a stray negative comment on the Internet. It's like everybody loves to put negative comments on the Internet under the cloak of anonymity.
-- John Legend

#Negative #Internet #Cloaks

If a few people decide not to buy my album it's really not going to change my life that much.
-- John Legend

#People #Albums #Changing My Life

I want you to live the best life you can. You can be world-changers. .. Pursue this life of love with focus and passion and ambition and courage. Give it your all. And that will be your path to true success.
-- John Legend

#Passion #Ambition #Giving

A just society is not one built on fear or repression or vengeance or exclusion, but one built on love. Love for our families. Love for our neighbors. Love for the least among us. Love for those who look different or worship differently. Love for those we don't even know.
-- John Legend

#Family Love #Different #Looks

My family is very musical, I was surrounded by it. And from four years old I was the one that asked my mother could I take piano lessons.It wasn't forced on me. It was something I wanted to do. And ever since, I've never stopped, I've never stopped playing music. I never went through a period where I didn't want to do it.
-- John Legend

#Mother #Years #Piano

Love your curves and all your edges All your perfect imperfections
-- John Legend

#Love You #Curves #Perfect

Sometimes I just think people are haters. And if they're haters, you can listen to what they have to say but you have to take it with a grain of salt.
-- John Legend

#Thinking #People #Salt

Every artist wants some sort of feedback, because you make this music and you hope people love it and you want to hear if they love it and what they love about it, what their favorite song is, what they think the next single should be. I like to hear those things.
-- John Legend

#Song #Artist #Thinking