From February 2009:

"They were saying I smoke crack and using all this innuendo, and I thought a magazine as credible as Newsweek? I was very surprised that this was happening. And then I thought I had to make some real choices. Is that what I want for myself? Did I get TOO big? Because I like people. And I like entertaining. And the higher up I go, for some reason the less happy I am. You know, is it going to get to the point where I'm doing a strip tease on TRL or waving a gun on the street saying they're trying to kill me? No, I'm not going to let it get to that point. I'm going to go to Africa... I'm going to find a way to be myself man, I gotta you know... I'm an artist man, you know I don't need a Sneaker deal. There's only six studios, man. There's only six agencies, man. This is a small controlled thing and I don't... like having to beg for the spotlight, man. You know, the machine is good for us and we're good for the machine and it should be... it should be fair, man. Martin had a stroke, he almost died. And then after that, I saw him and I said oh my God Martin, are you okay? And he said, I got the best sleep I ever got in my life. That's how tough he is. And so the question is, what is happening in Hollywood? That a guy that tough... would be on the street waving a gun screaming 'they are trying to kill me'? What is going on? Why is Dave Chappelle going to Africa? Why is Mariah Carey taking a one hundred million dollar deal and taking her clothes off on TRL? A weak person cannot get to sit here and talk to you. There ain't no weak people talking to you. So what is happening in Hollywood? Nobody knows! The worst thing to call somebody is crazy, it's dismissive. I don't understand this person, so they're crazy. That's bullshit. These people are not crazy, they're strong people. Maybe their environment...... is a little sick."