--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up, to be an emcee…" description: "\"When I was growing up, to be an emcee meant to write the most clever, intellectual, and wittiest rap. And that's what we did.\" — Gza" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/gza-3767_clever_when-i-was-growing-up-to-be-an-emcee-mea_2891942.png" --- # When I was growing up, to be an emcee meant to write the… ![“When I was growing up, to be an emcee meant to write the most clever, intellectual, and wittiest rap. And that's what we did.” quote by Gza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/gza-3767_clever_when-i-was-growing-up-to-be-an-emcee-mea_2891942.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/gza-3767_clever_when-i-was-growing-up-to-be-an-emcee-mea_2891942.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/gza-3767_clever_when-i-was-growing-up-to-be-an-emcee-mea_2891942.png) > “When I was growing up, to be an emcee meant to write the most clever, intellectual, and wittiest rap. And that's what we did.” Gza ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being an MC was about clever, intellectual, witty rap, and that was the goal. **In simple terms:** MCs valued clever, witty rap. Key Takeaway Focus on lyrical skill and wit. Themes hip‑hop creativity intellectualism Mood energetic confident Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - battle rap - studio recording - live performance - writing sessions Key Concepts lyricism artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance wit with emotional resonance? - What role does intellect play in hip‑hop culture? A Different Perspective May overlook emotional depth or broader appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Rap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rap/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Simplicity is the key for me. I can't write clever songs; I just can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-nash/simplicity-is-the-key-for-me-i-can-t-write-clever-songs-i-just-can-t/) [Kate Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-nash/) > [I can sit and write clever things, but that never quite works as well as when I'm just chatting about stupid things in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/i-can-sit-and-write-clever-things-but-that-never-quite-works-as-well/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I never claim to be the best emcee to grab the mic, I just gotta tendency to give the people what they like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-grae/i-never-claim-to-be-the-best-emcee-to-grab-the-mic-i-just-gotta/) [Jean Grae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-grae/) > [Back in the days the great emcees made singles, had great shows, won battles, had all the girls and dressed fly. That¹s what I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joell-ortiz/back-in-the-days-the-great-emcees-made-singles-had-great-shows-won/) [Joell Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joell-ortiz/) > [A good emcee will rhyme a lot of different ways. Don't limit yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/a-good-emcee-will-rhyme-a-lot-of-different-ways-don-t-limit-yourself/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [Take 7 emcees put em in a line And add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme It'll take 7 more before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakim/take-7-emcees-put-em-in-a-line-and-add-7-more-brothers-who-think-they/) [Rakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakim/) > [One of the things I think you need to be a good emcee is silliness. And I'm basically a silly guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-davidson/one-of-the-things-i-think-you-need-to-be-a-good-emcee-is-silliness/) [Doug Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-davidson/) > [So in my personal opinion, I definitely feel like I'm a legendary emcee, and I also feel like we're a legendary brand, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/so-in-my-personal-opinion-i-definitely-feel-like-i-m-a-legendary/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [I'm sautéing emcees with fried rice up in the wok without the MSG and chopped celery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redman/i-m-saut-ing-emcees-with-fried-rice-up-in-the-wok-without-the-msg-and/) [Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redman/) > [Gimme a couple G's for every emcee I knocked to his knees. Verbally useless, 'Oh you got the juice?' I squeeze you juiceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurupt/gimme-a-couple-g-s-for-every-emcee-i-knocked-to-his-knees-verbally/) [Kurupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurupt/) > [Before 'Insecure,' I was a wedding emcee - a host for weddings. That's a world that a lot of people are not familiar with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-orji/before-insecure-i-was-a-wedding-emcee-a-host-for-weddings-that-s-a/) [Yvonne Orji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-orji/) > [Brandy is one of my favorite vocalists. Jay-Z is my favorite emcee outside of Biggie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-love/brandy-is-one-of-my-favorite-vocalists-jay-z-is-my-favorite-emcee/) [Rico Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-love/) > [When I worked for Entertainment Tonight I got to emcee Paul McCartneys press conference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-blackwood/when-i-worked-for-entertainment-tonight-i-got-to-emcee-paul/) [Nina Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-blackwood/) > [To me, part of being an emcee is dedicated to speaking out about what's going on around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lazarus-of-bethany/to-me-part-of-being-an-emcee-is-dedicated-to-speaking-out-about-what/) [Lazarus of Bethany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lazarus-of-bethany/) > [I break an emcee off proper Yo don't check me, Ask your Moms and Pops, Yo they respect me, But here you stand, tryin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-break-an-emcee-off-proper-yo-don-t-check-me-ask-your-moms-and-pops/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) ## More by Gza > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) Gza > [I had a few DJs in my neighbourhood that would play music in the streets. There was no hip-hop yet; there were just DJs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-had-a-few-djs-in-my-neighbourhood-that-would-play-music-in-the/) Gza > [I think, for myself, as an artist, the progression is a lyrical progression and what I choose to target my lyrics at and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-think-for-myself-as-an-artist-the-progression-is-a-lyrical/) Gza > [Hip-hop started with street poets with great lyrical skills, and that's what hip-hop has always been about for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/hip-hop-started-with-street-poets-with-great-lyrical-skills-and-that/) Gza > [As far as being a vegetarian, it's a moral thing, a health thing, a conscious thing - a combination of all. I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/as-far-as-being-a-vegetarian-it-s-a-moral-thing-a-health-thing-a/) Gza > [When the Black Lips sent a track over to me, I thought it sounded like a Beastie Boys track, the way the singer was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/when-the-black-lips-sent-a-track-over-to-me-i-thought-it-sounded-like/) Gza > [I'm just really, really laid-back-slash-lazy. Last minute with everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-m-just-really-really-laid-back-slash-lazy-last-minute-with/) Gza > [I think every being in the universe is connected somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-think-every-being-in-the-universe-is-connected-somehow/) Gza > [I get inspired by many different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-get-inspired-by-many-different-things/) Gza > [I don't knock material rappers, but let me hear it in a different way. How many songs do I have to hear about rims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-knock-material-rappers-but-let-me-hear-it-in-a-different-way/) Gza > [I throw raps that attacks like the Japs at Pearl Harbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-throw-raps-that-attacks-like-the-japs-at-pearl-harbor/) GZA > [Moog has been incorporated in a lot of our music. I know RZA has several of those machines. So, it did play a major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/moog-has-been-incorporated-in-a-lot-of-our-music-i-know-rza-has/) Gza > [I just have certain interests in different things, and they inspire me to write. I would encourage aspiring artists or MCs or rappers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-just-have-certain-interests-in-different-things-and-they-inspire-me/) Gza > [It's always been about shelf life. Long-term parking, not short-term. That's why I take the time that I do when I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/it-s-always-been-about-shelf-life-long-term-parking-not-short-term/) Gza > [Before hip-hop existed, we were listening to soul songs from the '70s. I grew up with Motown, Elton John, and the Beatles. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/before-hip-hop-existed-we-were-listening-to-soul-songs-from-the-70s-i/) Gza Explore all 122 Gza quotes ## More Clever quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [If she is stupid enough to let you go, you're clever enough not to look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-she-is-stupid-enough-to-let-you-go-you-re-clever-enough-not-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Need to go to the pharmacy, because I'm so sick!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-matthews/need-to-go-to-the-pharmacy-because-i-m-so-sick/) Tasha Matthews > [My valour is certainly going! - it is sneaking off! - I feel it oozing out as it were at the palms of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/my-valour-is-certainly-going-it-is-sneaking-off-i-feel-it-oozing-out/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > ['I Love You' fails to sum up all the memories, smiles, laughs, trials, and tribulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/i-love-you-fails-to-sum-up-all-the-memories-smiles-laughs-trials-and/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [People may say that what I do is very clever, but it's not really at all. It's not Swift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/people-may-say-that-what-i-do-is-very-clever-but-it-s-not-really-at/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Regrets are like mistresses," he informed her. "I ..." Her hand dropped from the handle. "What?" "Good men don't have them." She blinked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/regrets-are-like-mistresses-he-informed-her-i-her-hand-dropped-from/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) > [I love clever lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-hayes/i-love-clever-lyrics/) [Walker Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-hayes/) [Browse all 2,116 Clever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was growing up, to be an emcee meant to write the most clever, intellectual, and wittiest rap. 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