[Rap and hip hop today] come across ... the same way that jazz was embraced by the [Lost] Generation -- F. Scott Fitzgerald and others -- who were trying to rebel against their own white cultures. [Black music] represents a fresh new sound.

Music is the beginning of language to all humans. African Americans' music, in particular, harks back to a common sort of ancestry. It is a global kind of language: You don't need to understand English to understand blues or jazz.

We were very surprised and very disappointed.

The South is a region of irony. It's both un-American and deeply American.

Dance and music is the ultimate celebration. It's a way of celebrate our past experiences, and it's always pushing us to new levels of experience... Every generation of Americans can relate to black music and dance as a fresh new connection to life.

The problems of the nation that are reflected in black music don't seem to be changing. The music is going to evolve, and it will still be with us many years from now.