Back in the 1970s, it was mostly all-black audiences coming into the theaters. So, we presented stories they could relate to.

When I first realized that I wanted to be a stand-up comedian was when I was in the service.

Luther Campbell is the only person that has ever paid me for sampling me. I'm out for the rest of 'em, but the young man paid me.

I never was in favor of doing this. No, no, no. I was never in favor of cursing on records and so forth. I wasn't brought up like that. But I needed to survive and make money and get me a piece of show business. So when I found I could hit with this, then I turned to it. And in order to turn to it, you must do it well.

It seems to me that if God calls us to anything it's to a life of integrity.

Almost all wars, perhaps all, are trade wars connected with some material interest. They are always disguised as sacred wars, made in the name of God, or civilization or progress. But all of them, or almost all of the wars, have been trade wars.

It is part of my faith as a Muslim to try to help those who are suffering from poverty or economic or political injustice.

I went into politics thinking that, if I made arguments in good faith, I'd get a hearing. It's a reasonable assumption, but it's wrong. In five and a half years in politics up north, no one really bothered to criticize my ideas, such as they were. It was never my message that was the issue. It was always the messenger.