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The Truth Behind Eminem's Relationship With His Mom

There is no doubt Eminem is a complicated person. His 25-year career has been defined by feuds, violence and toxic male aggression. However, amid the chaos, the rapper has maintained the ability to lay bare his vulnerabilities and acknowledge his weaknesses. Nothing illustrates that complexity better than the fraught relationship between Eminem and Eminem's mom, Debbie Nelson Mathers (maiden name Nelson). Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, didn’t have the best upbringing. Raised in poverty, his parents grappled with addiction and relationship troubles, scarring the young rapper as he was beginning to carve out an identity. As such, he harbored resentment for his mom and dad, and swore he would break the pattern when it came to his own daughter. Of course, reality doesn’t often pan out the way you hoped. The Detroit rapper had to stand up and address his failures head-on. Through this journey, he could rediscover his relationship with his mother, and the place she occupies in his life. What Happened With Eminem's Mom? (Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Redferns)Debbie was only 18 years old when she gave birth to Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Eminem’s father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., abandoned them as soon as his son was born, leaving the young mother to raise their child alone. RELATED: Dave Bautista Realized Why He Hated Being Rich - Until He Did One Thing for His MomThe mother-and-son duo faced destitution and eviction at every turn, and moved frequently, in search of financial stability. Debbie was in no position to shoulder the responsibilities of parenthood. However, Eminem's mother worked hard to make ends meet, even if the outcomes weren’t always satisfactory. Unfortunately, her childcare abilities weren’t up to her son’s liking. As is his modus operandi, Eminem badmouthed Debbie in the charged lyrics to "My Name Is," the opening track of his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP. In the song, he claims his mother did “more dope than” he did: “I told her I'd grow up to be a famous rapper / Make a record about doin' drugs and name it after her.”Debbie Mathers Sues Eminem Over 'My Name Is' LyricsYoung Marshall Mathers III and mom Debbie Nelson Mathers (Image: My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem)Debbie Mathers Briggs (her current husband, John Briggs, is her fourth) was blindsided by the admission. Shortly after the release of "My Name Is," she sued her son for $11 million, claiming defamation of character. Eminem’s team responded by saying his music only reflected the truth. His lawyer also said the lawsuit was a “result of a lifelong strained relationship between [Eminem] and mother,” and that it was pretty “painful” to be sued by your own mother. Debbie was awarded a $25,000 settlement in 2001, but $23,354.25 of that went to her attorney.The animosity between Eminem and his mother didn’t subside, however. In 2002, Eminem released "Cleanin' Out My Closet," in which he accused her of suffering from Münchausen syndrome by proxy, a disorder in which a caregiver makes up an illness or injury in a person under their care. RELATED: How Tom Hanks' Tragic Childhood Changed Him - ForeverAs if that weren't enough, he made more references to her substance abuse in the song "My Mom": “My mom loved Valium and lots of drugs /That's why I am like I am 'cause I'm like her.” He also wrote how she added Valium in his food multiple times. and would threaten to throw him in the basement if he didn’t eat his meal. My mom/ There's no one else quite like my mom /I know I should let bygones be bygones/ But she's the reason why I am high on what I'm high onEminem, "My Mom"Why Did Eminem Apologize To His Mom?It’s difficult to distinguish who’s telling the truth when the atmosphere is so incendiary. However, Debbie did try to provide a context in her 2008 memoir My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.RELATED: How Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower Overcame Addiction“At first I went along with it for Marshall's sake -- if I made one mistake as a mother, it was giving in to my eldest son's every whim,” she wrote, alluding to how she may have added Valium to his food. but only at his insistence. She also insisted that it was an uphill battle to care for her son, given her wretched circumstances. Just because she made some terrible decisions of her own doesn’t mean Eminem should have taken the liberty to defame her at every opportunity. He never knew his father, and I did all I could to make up for it. I wasn't happy when he made up a whole new life for himself - what mother wants to be known as a pill-popping alcoholic who lives on welfare?Debbie Nelson on My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem.With time, Eminem forgave his mother and apologized to her. There’s only so much room for hatred and anger, and when the years weigh down on you, you begin to realize how everyone goes through a hard time. Who Was Eminem's Father?Eminem, in a promo for his Detroit restaurant, Mom's SpaghettiIn his 2013 song "Headlights," Eminem discussed forgiving his mother, questioning if he had taken his resentment “too far.” He also shed light on the role of his father, Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr. — or lack thereof — in exacerbating tensions between himself and his mother. If he hadn’t abandoned the family at such a critical juncture, mother and son wouldn’t have had to endure so much hardship.RELATED: Ben Affleck’s Sobriety Journey Proves You’re More Than Your Parents’ MistakesAt the end of the day, the 50-year-old “loves” his mother, and says she’s “still beautiful” to him. She “did her best” to raise him and his younger half-brother, Nate, even though the “cross” she bore was the heaviest of all. But regardless, I don't hate you 'cause, Ma / You're still beautiful to me, 'cause you're my Ma [...] All you did, all you said, you did your best to raise us both /Foster care, that cross you bear, few may be as heavy as yours.Eminem, "Headlights"Eminem opened Mom's Spaghetti restaurant in Detroit in 2021. However, it's not a sign that he's mended fences with mother Debbie (by all accounts, their relationship remains strained). Instead, it's a reference to his song "Lose Yourself," from the soundtrack to his 2002 acting debut, 8 Mile. The menu includes vegan meatballs, and a spaghetti sandwich (Eminem's favorite).Let Go of BitternessEminem clung onto so much rage in the first 40 years of his life that he and his mother still remain a little “estranged." It’s OK to feel a grudge, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t call out people for their dangerous behavior. However, as you grow older, consider whether the antagonism is worth your time. Our priorities shift, we become wiser, and we tend to forgive ourselves and each other for the past. The bitterness will only deter you in your journey, haunting you every step of the way till you’re ready to combust. Instead, free yourself. It feels good to look forward to the future and not have any regrets about the past. So if you have the opportunity to rid yourself of the bitterness, take it. KEEP READING: Eminem Celebrates 10 Years Sober, Inspires People Struggling with Addiction to Open Up

20 Inspirational Jay-Z Quotes about Life and Success
Musicians

20 Inspirational Jay-Z Quotes about Life and Success

Born Shawn Corey Carter, Jay-Z made it through a rough adolescence while growing up in Brooklyn. Luckily, rapping served as an escape from the terrible life he could’ve had.Jay-Z appeared for the first time on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989. Along with Jaz-O, his mentor at the time, the performer started making history in the rap industry. It was then that Shawn became Jay-Z, choosing this nickname part out of consideration for Jaz-O and part as a reference to the J/Z subway station near the place he used to live in.In order to fund his own independent label Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z sold albums out of his car. Arguably one of the smartest investors, he achieved his goal, created his own clothing line, invested in other businesses, and since behind every successful man there is a strong woman, he wedded singer Beyoncé.Jay-Z has always openly talked about his life in many of his songs and in 2010, he published his autobiography, Decoded, a collection of lyrics and their meanings and a story anyone can relate to.Here are 20 Jay-Z quotes to inspire and motivate you on your way to success.I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of not trying.We change people through conversation, not through censorship.I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!Life is all there is. And if that's true, then we have to really live it -- we have to take it for everything it has and "die enormous" instead of "living dormant."I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.All I got is dreams. Nobody else believes. Nobody else can see. Nobody else but me.I believe you can speak things into existence.May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows.Everyone needs a chance to evolve.Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow.Only God can judge me so I'm gone, either love me or leave me alone.Truth is you don't need some external demon to take control of you to turn you into a raging, money-obsessed sociopath, you only need to let loose the demons you already have inside of you.They talk. We live. Who cares what they say?A wise man told me don't argue with fools. Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who.If the beat is time, flow is what we do with that time, how we live through it. The beat is everywhere, but every life has to find its own flow.The more society treats drug addiction as a crime, the more money drug dealers will make "relieving" the suffering of the addicts.I believe everyone in the world is born with genius-level talent. Apply yourself to whatever you’re genius at, and you can do anything in the world.Money and power don't change you, they just further expose your true self.People look at you strange, say you changed. Like you worked that hard to stay the same.You can want success all you want, but to get it, you can’t falter. You can’t slip, you can’t sleep. One eye open, for real, and forever.

20 Rihanna Quotes that Will Inspire You to Live Life on Your Own Terms
Musicians

20 Rihanna Quotes that Will Inspire You to Live Life on Your Own Terms

Robyn Rihanna Fenty — known to the world simply as Rihanna — is a singer, actress, and businesswoman. Since starting her music career, Rihanna has become a pop icon and received numerous awards and accolades for her work.The singer’s childhood was affected by her father’s alcohol and drug addiction and by her parents’ divorce. She struggled with extreme headaches for several years and singing served as an escape from all the tension.RELATED: Rihanna’s Transformation from Music Icon to Business Mogul Was A Long Time ComingAt the age of 16, Rihanna got the opportunity to pursue a career in music so she moved to the US and never looked back. She signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings and soon released her debut album, Music of the Sun, which proved to be a great success, reaching no. 10 on the Billboard albums chart.In 2017, Rihanna launched her own cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, which quickly became popular due to its broad inclusivity across skin types and tones. The brand was even named one of Time magazine's best inventions of 2017.A very successful artist with a fantastic voice and catchy songs, Rihanna is one of the best-selling artists of all time.If you're looking to Rihanna for some inspirational quotes, you've come to the right place.Here are 20 Rihanna Quotes That Will Inspire You to Live Life on Your Own Terms:"Let go of the things that make you feel dead! Life is worth living!""I stand up for what I believe in, and a lot of the time that can be against people’s opinions.""It’s tougher to be vulnerable than to actually be tough.""I don’t do things for the response or the controversy. I just live my life.""Sure, you wish you did some things differently. But there is no sense in becoming burdened with regret over things you have no power to change.""Keep your eyes on the finish line and not on the turmoil around you.""Don’t hide from who you are.""Nobody can understand what you’re feeling unless they burn the way you burned.""When you realize who you live for, and who’s important to please, a lot of people will actually start living. I am never going to get caught up in that. I’m gonna look back on my life and say that I enjoyed it – and I lived it for me.""You may never be good enough for everybody, but you will always be the best for somebody.""It’s only up from here, no downward spiral.""The minute you learn to love yourself you won’t want to be anyone else.""I think a lot of people are afraid of being happy because of what others might think.""You have to just accept your body. You may not love it all the way, but you just have to be comfortable with it, comfortable with knowing that that’s your body.""I believe everybody’s an individual. You can’t judge someone based on someone else’s actions.""I try my best to avoid the sharks of life, but I have had my share of experiences with them. But I do not swim with sharks … sharks swim with sharks.""Be a girl with a mind, a b**ch with an attitude, a lady with class.""Because tomorrow I’m still going to be the same person. I’m still going to do what I want to do.""When I see myself as an old woman, I just think about being happy. And hopefully, I’ll still be fly.""Settling is the worst feeling in the world."

49 Powerful Quotes from John Lennon to Live and Love By
Musicians

49 Powerful Quotes from John Lennon to Live and Love By

John Lennon was an activist for love who became an emblem of peace. The man who co-founded the most iconic and influential pop music band of all time, The Beatles, was known as much for his talents as a singer-songwriter as for his larger-than-life presence in the public eye.Lennon’s parents were married briefly and at the age of five he was forced by his father to choose his favorite parent, only to end up living and being raised by his aunt Mimi Smith. However, his mother visited him regularly and taught him to play the banjo and the piano.After helping create the first British band to break out big in the United States and enjoying a massive success, Lennon decided to leave the group and start a solo career with the help of his second wife, Yoko Ono. The two also invented a form of peace protest by staying in bed while being filmed and interviewed.In 1971, Lennon released his second solo album “Imagine,” which quickly became a commercial success. He belonged to a time when pop artists embraced their roles as social and cultural influencers, and used the podiums granted them by their celebrity to shape our values and vision for a better world.Tragically, in 1980 Lennon was shot and killed outside of his apartment building in New York by a deranged fan. His death saddened millions of fans worldwide and had a major impact on pop culture.Of all these dreamers and darers, few had a voice as passionate or powerful as John Lennon's, who continues to inspire countless millions decades after he was stolen from us before his time.Here are 18 Powerful John Lennon Quotes to Live and Love By -- and to help us remember this giant of music who always reminded us to believe in our better angels.49 Powerful John Lennon Quotes to Live and Love ByThere are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance.Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.We live in a world where we have to hide to make love, while violence is practiced in broad daylight.Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream.I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.Peace is not something you wish for; It’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.When you do something beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun, every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love or how you love, it matters only that you love.We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.I’m not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I’ve always been a freak. So I’ve been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I’m one of those people.If everyone could just be happy with themselves and the choices people around them make, the world would instantly be a better place!Declare it. Just the same way we declare war. That is how we will have peace… we just need to declare it.Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground.You don't need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!Trying to please everybody is impossible - if you did that, you'd end up in the middle with nobody liking you. You've just got to make the decision about what you think is your best, and do it.A mistake is only an error, it becomes a mistake when you fail to correct it.Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be…One thing you can’t hide – is when you’re crippled inside.It’s better to fade away like an old soldier than to burn out.There are no problems, only solutions.Love is all you need.Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realized that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality.For those of you in the cheap seats I’d like ya to clap your hands to this one; the rest of you can just rattle your jewelry!How can I go forward when I don’t know which way I’m facing?My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.Nobody controls me. I’m uncontrollable. The only one who controls me is me, and that’s just barely possible.What we’ve got to do is keep hope alive. Because without it we’ll sink.Everything is as important as everything else.If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that’s a problem. Peace and love are eternal.There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.Only by trying on other people’s clothes do we find what size we are.Produce your own dream. It’s quite possible to do anything, but not if you put it on the leaders and the parking meters.I don’t believe in killing whatever the reason!You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.It’s weird not to be weird.Get out there and get peace, think peace, and live peace and breathe peace, and you’ll get it as soon as you like.When I cannot sing my heart, I can only speak my mind.Happiness is just how you feel when you don’t feel miserable.I can’t wake you up. You can wake you up. I can’t cure you. You can cure you.If you want peace, you won’t get it with violence.Art is only a way of expressing pain.You’re all geniuses, and you’re all beautiful. You don’t need anyone to tell you who you are. You are what you are.I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence.You’re just left with yourself all the time, whatever you do anyway. You’ve got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It’s all down to you, mate.The more real you get, the more unreal the world gets.

Bob Marley Quotes That Will Shift Your Perspective for the Better
Musicians

Bob Marley Quotes That Will Shift Your Perspective for the Better

Bob Marley was—and indeed, is—a world-famous Jamaican reggae musician. Born in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica in 1945, Marley was a living legend known not only for his beautiful, inspiring music, but for being a politically conscious figure who integrated concepts of empowerment, love, contentment, spirituality, and social justice into his art form. He truly never avoided making a statement, even if controversial. He was known for denouncing society’s obsession with western consumerism and the constant race for money and material things.Early careerMarley began his career in a band called the Wailers in the early 60s. (Getty)By the late 1960s, he had become a Rastafarian, which influenced his music heavily. In the 1970s, he formed the band Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the group released several highly successful albums that effectively introduced the entire world to reggae. In 1981, however, Marley’s life was cut short when he died of cancer at the age of 36. Life after death(Al Pereira / Contributor / Getty)At his funeral, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga delivered the final eulogy to Marley, saying: “His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds. Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation.”Although his life was cut tragically short, Marley’s musical talents and inspiring messages are still very much alive. His music was teeming with meaningful lyrics which encouraged listeners to seek a higher purpose in life and his messages are still here to expand the hearts and minds of anyone willing to listen.Bob Marley quotes to brighten your dayBob Marley was a major proponent of the power of positivity, and you’d be a damn fool not to enjoy a few of his best quotes on the topic.----“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”“One love, one heart, one destiny.”(Jacques Pavlovsky / Contributor / Getty)“Don't worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.”“Though the road's been rocky it sure feels good to me.”“One love, one heart…let’s get together and feel all right.”“You just can’t live in that negative way…make way for the positive day.”“My future is righteousness.”“Things will be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.”“You’re on a positive road. You have some type of direction where you’re going, so you have to just keep ongoing.”“When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open.”Bob Marley inspirational quotesMost of us could use some quality motivational quotes now and then; after all, the world as we know it can be a discouraging place. Of course, Bob had a few words of wisdom on the matter. ------“Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.”“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”“You have to be someone.”(Michael Ochs Archives / Handout / Getty)“My feet is my only carriage so I’ve got to push on through.”“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”“You not supposed to feel down over what happen to you. I mean, you’re supposed to use whatever happen to you as some type of upper, not a downer.”“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!”“If you don't start somewhere, you're gonna go nowhere.”(Michael Ochs Archives / Handout / Getty)“My fear is my only courage.”Bob Marley quotes about love and relationshipsWoman or man, it’s a rare one among us who can’t use a little guidance in the arena of love. As luck would have it, Bob had many thoughts to share with the lovers of the world.------“You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.”“Love hard when there is love to be had.”“If she's amazing, she won't be easy. If she's easy, she won't be amazing. If she's worth it, you wont give up. If you give up, you're not worthy. ... Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.”(Getty)“You say you love rain, but you use an umbrella to walk under it. You say you love sun, but you seek shelter when it is shining. You say you love wind, but when it comes you close your windows. So that's why I'm scared when you say you love me.”“There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are.“The winds that sometimes take something we love, are the same that bring us something we learn to love. Therefore we should not cry about something that was taken from us, but, yes, love what we have been given. Because what is really ours is never gone forever.”“You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon.”“The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.”“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can ... a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end.”“If you can love the wrong person that much, imagine how much you can love the right one.”“I will never regret you or say I wish I’d never met you, because once upon a time, you were exactly what I needed.”“Don’t trust people whose feelings change with time. Trust people whose feelings remain the same, even when the time changes.”“There will never be no love at all.”Bob Marley quotes on material wealthMost of us spend a good deal of our time chasing down money, wealth, stability. But Bob Marley saw the limitations of the material world very clearly and was able to articulate what he saw with great eloquence and wisdom.-------“Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.”“In the abundance of water a fool is thirsty.”“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.”(Chris Walter / Contributor / Getty)“Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all.”“Money can’t buy life.”“If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.”“When the race gets hard to run. It means you just can’t take the peace.”“Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” “Love, friendship, laughter...some of the best things in life really are free.”Bob Marley quotes on justice(Gie Knaeps / Contributor / Getty)We can’t talk about the wisdom that Bob Marley imparted without addressing the strong thread of social, racial, and class justice woven throughout everything he did. Let the following quotes inspire you to do right by the world around you. “Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned—everywhere is war, me say war.”“Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.”“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others, and you will live again.”“Judge not unless you judge yourself.”“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?”“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight.”(Michael Ochs Archives / Handout / Getty)“Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen. ”“Tell the children the truth.”“You entertain people who are satisfied. Hungry people can't be entertained - or people who are afraid. You can't entertain a man who has no food.”"Prejudice is a chain, it can hold you. If you prejudice, you can't move, you keep prejudice for years. Never get nowhere with that.”(Getty)“If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from, then you wouldn’t have to ask me, who the heck do I think I am.”Bob Marley quotes on spiritualityBob Marley was a strong proponent of the Rastafarian faith and its values, which is reflected strongly in the spiritual flavor of so many of his lyrics. Whether you identify as spiritual/religious or not, there are lessons to be gleaned from his many powerful statements on higher purpose and power.“I don't stand for black man's side, I don't stand for white man's side, I stand for God's side.”“If puss and dog can get together, why can’t we love one another?”“I don’t believe in death, neither in flesh nor in spirit.”“Truth is the light, so you never give up the fight.”(Allan Tannenbaum / Contributor / Getty)“If you get down and quarrel every day, you’re saying prayers to the devil, I say.”“Some people say great God come from the sky take away everything and make everybody feel high, but if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth.”“Life and Jah are one and the same. Jah is the gift of existence. I am in some way eternal, I will never be duplicated. The singularity of every man and woman is Jah’s gift. What we struggle to make of it is our sole gift to Jah. The process of what that struggle becomes, in time, the Truth.”“And no matter what game they play, we got something they can never take away.”“Never expect God to do for you what you don’t do to others.”“What important is man should live in righteousness, in natural love for mankind.”Strong Bob Marley quotes on life(Rob Verhorst / Contributor / Getty)If you move through life without the occasional need for some quality perseverance quotes to fortify you, you’re a rare exception! Drink of Bob’s illuminating insight, why don’t you?“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?”“You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”“The problem is people are being hated when they are real, and are being loved when they are fake.”“Your worst enemy could be your best friend and your best friend your worst enemy.”“Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living.”“When the root is strong, the fruit is sweet.”“Well, the biggest man you ever did see once was just a baby.” “In this bright future you can't forget your past.”(Getty)“Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.”In conclusionThat’s it—your dosage of life-altering sagacity for the day. If you’d like to deepen the Bob Marley experience even further, try listening to some of his tunes—at full volume, of course! One love.

20 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quotes on What Makes a Genius
Musicians

20 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quotes on What Makes a Genius

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791), was an Austrian composer renowned for having composed numerous concertos, symphonies, operas and sonatas that have shaped classical music.As the son of a successful composer at the Salzburg court, Mozart was introduced to music at an early age. He loved mimicking his big sister’s playing and his father saw that he had a remarkable talent so he became young Mozart’s tutor.Soon, the boy exceeded everyone’s expectations -- by the age of six he was composing his own music. The proud father decided to take him on a tour around the palaces to show off his son’s genius to kings and queens. At just 17 years old, Mozart got a job in Salzburg as a court musician, but his ambition took him to Vienna where he composed and performed for his fans until his very last breath.Nowadays, he is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in history. Unlike Beethoven and Haydn, another two brilliant musicians, Mozart wrote in all the musical genres of his day and excelled in every single one. Music was simply pouring out of him and in his short 35 years of life, he made the world a much richer place. Here are 20 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart quotes on what makes a genius:Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.We shall go on doing till we can do something worth doing; but I am one of those who will go on doing till all doing are at an end.To talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop.I am not thoughtless but am prepared for anything and as a result can wait patiently for whatever the future holds in store, and I'll be able to endure it.They probably think because I am so small and young, nothing of greatness and class can come out of me; but they shall soon find out.A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place.All I insist on, and nothing else, is that you should show the whole world that you are not afraid. Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak -- and speak in such a way that people will remember it.When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly.Our riches, being in our brains, die with us... Unless of course someone chops off our head, in which case, we won't need them anyway.I should like to know for what reason idleness is so popular with many young people that it is impossible to dissuade them from it either by words or by chastisements.Nevertheless the passions, whether violent or not, should never be so expressed as to reach the point of causing disgust; and music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music.He fixed his eyes on my fingers while I played to him, then said suddenly, "My God; I work at it till I sweat and yet get no success - while you, my friend, simply play at it!" "Yes," said I, "but I too had to work in order that I might be exempt from work now.One must not make oneself cheap here – that is a cardinal point – or else one is done. Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance.It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied.I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine racer, and counter-pointists to hack post-horses; therefore be advised, let well alone and remember the old Italian proverb: Chi sa più, meno sa (Who knows most, knows least).I beg you most humbly to go on loving me just a little and to make do with these poor congratulations until I get some new drawers made for my small and narrow brainbox in which I can keep the brains that I still intend to acquire.Forgive me, Majesty. I am a vulgar man! But I assure you, my music is not.

20 Gwen Stefani Quotes on Getting the Most Out of Life
Musicians

20 Gwen Stefani Quotes on Getting the Most Out of Life

Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame in the 1990s as the lead singer and founding member for the band No Doubt. In the early 2000s, Stefani ended her collaboration with her No Doubt bandmates and started a solo career. With singles dominating pop charts, a clothing line, and a Madonna-sized public image that extended into the worlds of film and TV, Gwen Stefani made quite a name for herself.Before she discovered her passion for music, Stefani dreamedof a life of marriage, children, and white picket fences. Now she’s a famousartist, business woman, has three children, a gorgeous house, and has no plansto stop here.The singer made her debut as a coach for the seventh season of NBC's The Voice in September 2014, and she's been encouraging inspiring speakers ever since. After experiencing a devastating divorce, Gwen met Blake Shelton on the show’s set, with whom she now has a beautiful and strong relationship.Here are 18 Gwen Stefani quotes from her songs, writing, and interviewsNever say never. In your life you never know what's going to happen next.After you make a fool of yourself a few hundred times, you learn what works.My songs are basically my diaries. Some of my best songwriting has come out of time when I've been going through a personal nightmare.Life is short and you've got to get the most out of it.I don't have a strong sense of self-worth unless I'm doing something.It was such a turning point to find that I had a talent and I had something to contribute, somewhere.Act as young as you feel. You're not getting older; you're getting more entitled to be your fabulous self.Finding that balance between work and family is the hardest thing I've ever done - by far.I have to be creative to be happy.I have to tell everyone everything that's going on. It is different once you're married, because that's sacred.Being a singer is all about me. About ego. Being a mom is all about being selfless - two different worlds.We all have to go through hard times. Tragedies. Those are given to us to see what we're going to do with them.Love is when you have a bad day but then you see the one you love and everything seems to be okay.No one can force me to do something unless I'm passionate about it.People might think you can turn creativity on and off, but it's not like that. It just kind of comes out. A mash up of all these things you collect in your mind. You never know when it's gonna happen, but when it does ... it's like magic. It's just that simple and it's just that hard.Being honest and truthful - I just believe that's the best way to be.Wakin' up to find another day. The moon got lost again last night, but now the sun has finally had its say.I've never been good at giving advice. The only advice I ever gave people was to find something that you are passionate about. But I hate giving advice, because, who am I? I'm just a girl.

22 Lady Gaga Quotes that Will Encourage You to Always Be Yourself
Musicians

22 Lady Gaga Quotes that Will Encourage You to Always Be Yourself

Weird outfits, high fashion and an incredible voice – these aresome of the ingredients Lady Gaga used to take over the world.She shocked, impressed and inspired and continues to do so.Lady Gaga is one of those entertainers that seem to have unlimited resources. As a child she learn classical piano, took vocal and acting lessons,then, as a teenager, she began performing, singing at open mic nights andacting in school plays. Despite her talent, Lady Gaga was constantly bullied for herappearance and eccentric behaviors - she was actually thrown in a trash canonce. But while many tried to dim her light, she never doubted that one day she’llbe a superstar. Gaga is a force to be reckoned with – she managed to dodge allcriticisms and she rebuilt her confidence whenever someone tried to put herdown. Gaga admitted her flaws, kept it real and that’s how shebecame an inspiration, not just a pop icon. She is a vocal supporter of humanrights, well-known for her philanthropy and for being an LGBT advocate.In 2011, she founded the Born This Way Foundation - anon-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment, self-confidence andanti-bullying, Here are 22 Lady Gaga quotes that will encourage you to alwaysbe yourself.You have to be unique and different and shine in your own way.We need fantasy to survive because reality is too difficult.You define beauty yourself, society doesn’t define your beauty.You have to be the antithesis of the status quo. You have to work against it. It’s not about a reaction. You don’t need to react to anything. We need to be proactive in our own movement of positivity.Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, cuz we were born this way!Don’t be insecure if your heart is pure.You have to be careful about how much you reveal to people that look up to you so much.Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.I used to be so delusional. I always imagined I could be more than I was, and eventually I grew and evolved into that person. We have set a standard where it’s not OK to act without morality and values and human respect. No person is better than another.If you don’t have any shadows you’re not in the light.Ignore all hatred and criticism. Live for what you create, and die protecting it.I feel like if you’re a really good human being, you can try to find something beautiful in every single person, no matter what.I allow myself to fail. I allow myself to break. I’m not afraid of my flaws.Why spend your whole life trying to be somebody that you’re not? It’s so much more fun to be yourself.Even if the whole world turns their back on you, you’ll always have yourself. It's always wrong to hate, but it's never wrong to love.Whether I’m wearing lots of makeup or no makeup, I’m always the same person inside.Fight and push harder for what you believe in, you'd be surprised, you are much stronger than you think.I am my own sanctuary and I can be reborn as many times as I choose throughout my life.No matter how much success you have — no matter how many opportunities, fame, fortune, no matter how many people accept you to your face — the person that really needs to accept you is you.You have to stop crying, and you have to go kick some ass.

19 Inspirational Katy Perry Quotes that You’ll Love
Musicians

19 Inspirational Katy Perry Quotes that You’ll Love

Katy Perry is an American pop music singing sensation whogained fame for a string of catchy songs and her over-the-top fashions.Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (original name) wasraised in a religious family – both her parents were Christian ministers andnonreligious music was forbidden in their household. So Perry’s first album, Katy Hudson, released in 2001, was gospel-influenced.Sadly, the album didn’t enjoy success and sold poorly, but the experience madeher change her direction towards popular music. Katy adopted her mother’s maiden name, Perry, toavoid confusion with the actress Kate Hudson, and in 2008 she released her solohit I Kissed a Girl which gave herinstant fame and was among the top songs on the music charts of many countries.The beautiful singer with her full-throated voice continued to climb the ladder of success and in 2010 she released Teenage Dream, an album that allowed Katy Perry to tie Michael Jackson’s record of five number one songs from a single album. One of the best hits on that album, Firework, continues to be one of Perry’s most popular and inspirational song.Here are 19 inspirational Katy Perry quotes that you’ll love:Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed, so you can open one that leads you to the perfect road.Comparisons are easily done once you've had a taste of perfection.I come from a very non-accepting family, but I'm very accepting.Too many girl rush into relationships because of the fear of being single, then start making compromises and losing their identity. Don't do that.I like to go out there looking like a strong woman, because I am strong. But I am also a woman who goes through all kinds of problems and highs and lows.I've realized that it's time for me to show my audience that you don't have to be perfect to achieve your dreams. Because nobody relates to being perfect.Baby you're a firework, c'mon show 'em what you're worth!Find out what your gift is and nurture it.You said move on, where do I go?If you're presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything.If you can believe in something great, then you can achieve something great.You don't have to feel like a waste of space. Your original cannot be replaced.You held me down, but I got up. Already brushing off the dust.Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke.I don't need the Prince Charming to have my own happy ending.I have always been the kid who’s asked ’Why?’ In my faith, you’re just supposed to have faith. But I was always like ’why?’Acceptance is the key to be… To be truly free.I wanted to be that quirky girl who writes funny songs that still have meaning.This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me.

20 Dolly Parton Quotes That Inspire a Great Attitude Towards Life
Musicians

20 Dolly Parton Quotes That Inspire a Great Attitude Towards Life

The cultural icon and a multi-talented star, Dolly Parton is a famous American singer, songwriter and actress. Over the years, her voice and personality won the hearts of country and pop music fans.Although she was born in a poor family, the fourth of 12 children, Parton’s passion for music helped her make it big in the industry. She learned everything about music from her mother, who sang and played guitar, and while performing in church. Dolly started to gain fame when she was only ten years old, by appearing on local television and radio shows in Knoxville. With a voice like that and unparalleled charm, she soon became the protégée of country music singer Porter Wagoner. For her remarkable music career, Parton received many awards and was recognized in the Guinness World Records 2018 edition for her accomplishments of most decades with a Top 20 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and most hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, by a female artist. Parton has used her success to give back to others. She’s worked with charitable organizations in support of numerous causes and established her own Dollywood Foundation, with the goal of improving literacy among young children.Here are 20 Dolly Parton quotes that inspire a great attitude towards life:Storms make trees take deeper roots.I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else.When I got somethin' to say, I'll say it.If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.You always want your people to be proud of what you have accomplished.If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.I know who I am, I know what I can and can't do. I know what I will and won't do. I know what I'm capable of and I don't agree to do things that I don't think I can pull off.We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that's left for you or to make one of your own.You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try.The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.I’ve had heartaches, headaches, toothaches, earaches, and I’ve had a few pains in the ass, but I’ve survived to tell about it.Being a star just means that you just find your own special place, and that you shine where you are.I’m not happy all the time, and I wouldn’t want to be because that would make me a shallow person. But I do try to find the good in everybody.You know, I look like a woman but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot. Because by the time they think that I don't know what's goin' on, I then got the money, and am gone.Smile -- it increases your face value.I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give'em yours!