Cinema was my rite of passage.

Crunk music is the music of the South, it pervades every club and nightclub not only in America, but all over the world.

I love comics. I like to do everything I used to do when I was 14-years-old.

I try to keep focused on the things that really make me happy and just do those same things.

I wanted to dress cool, and get all the ladies.

I'm a competitive guy.

I've become more relaxed. When I was younger, I had more erratic, nervous tension when I was working.

I've been nominated for Academy Awards, I know what I'm doing.

I've got passion, and for people who don't, I make them see how trite their lives are.

The freshest moments in my films have always been with unknown actors.

'Baby Boy' is one of my favourite films, and Tyrese keeps telling everybody we're going to make a sequel. I mean, we have a story right now but we don't know where we're going to take it.

Because, if I'm honest, people in the white world might be appalled, but in the black world, they're making myths out of me. And I know that ain't the life.

I already have legitimacy as a filmmaker and now I'm trying to do stuff that's just fun. Until I find a cool tangible subject again that I want to tackle.

I really took filmmaking very seriously... It was an honor and then a crutch also, because at a young age, I was like, I guess I'm a serious filmmaker. I never set out to be a serious filmmaker. I just set out to make movies.

It's cool for me because I'm a director, but I'm also a teacher. I'm a lover of cinema, and I love working with people who are hungry and have the energy to really do better work.

Now, I'm so relaxed that I have to make myself nervous. I feel better when I'm second and third guessing myself over everything. I play with the mice in my head, all the time.

We have these rules, the 'hero rules.' Like, a hero doesn't slouch. A hero walks proudly with his head up. A hero walks with a purpose. A hero's always a gentleman.