This past Saturday, Wasalu Jaco, better known as rapper Lupe Fiasco, spoke on his growing interest in painting and art, as well as his latest album. The talk took place at The Allis inside of Soho House Chicago and Sky Gellaty of Team Epiphany moderated. These were my favorite things he said that I found the most inspiring:

Photo via Soho House Chicago

1. “I felt like my music career, even though successful, you can’t touch it. It doesn’t live in the world, it doesn’t take up space in the world,” Wasalu on why he started painting.

2. “How can I take something that is a pure raw experience and turn it into some type of narrative,” Wasalu on his creative process.

3. “More than being black, more than being a Muslim, I am an American.”

4. “Chicago is one of the few cities that actually influences global changes.”

5. “Just trying to stay creative and trying to constantly learn. If I have time, go back to school,” Wasalu on what’s next for him.

6. “When it comes to painting, I’m a starving artist. Even beyond being Lupe Fiasco, when you put paint to paper, you’re at zero. You have to go through the same struggles, through the same strife…”

7. “I don’t approach the world by being redundant.”