Meshell Ndegeocello Quotes

Powerful Meshell Ndegeocello for Daily Growth

About Meshell Ndegeocello

**Meshell Ndegeocello:** A Brief Biography and Inspirational Quotes Born Rachel Farrell on November 29, 1968, in Eugene, Oregon, Meshell Ndegeocello is an American bassist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for her unique blend of styles spanning R&B, rock, soul, hip hop, jazz, and funk. Raised primarily in Washington D.C., Ndegeocello was influenced by a rich musical background that included exposure to Jimi Hendrix, Sly & The Family Stone, and Prince. Her stage name, a combination of the Swahili word for 'freedom' ('ndege') and 'celluloid' (a reference to her love of film), was adopted in 1988. In 1993, she released her debut album, 'Plantation Lullabies,' a groundbreaking work that combined soul, rock, and funk, and featured covers of songs by artists like Sinead O'Connor and Prince. The album received critical acclaim and launched Ndegeocello into the limelight. Over her career, she has released numerous albums, including 'Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape' (1996), 'Comfort Woman' (1999), 'Modern Love' (2003), and 'Ventriloquism' (2018), a tribute to artists who influenced her. Ndegeocello is also known for her collaborations with artists such as Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Björk, John Mellencamp, and the Rolling Stones. Quotes: 1. "Art is a way of releasing the pain within." - A testament to her belief in art as a means of expression and healing. 2. "You can't get what you don't reach for." - Encouraging individuals to strive for their goals and aspirations. 3. "I'm not trying to be anything other than myself." - Embracing authenticity and individuality in music and life.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I've always been a bit of a chameleon, in terms of my art."

Meshell Ndegeocello acknowledges her versatility and adaptability in artistic expression, suggesting that she has the ability to blend seamlessly into various creative environments, much like the chameleon changes its color to camouflage itself in its surroundings. This quote underscores her dynamic approach to music and art, where she embraces multiple styles and genres rather than being confined to one specific form or identity.


"The idea is to keep reinventing yourself because if you don't, you can become obsolete real quick."

This quote emphasizes the importance of continuous growth, evolution, and adaptation in one's personal or professional life. Meshell Ndegeocello suggests that stagnation leads to obsolescence and irrelevance. To remain relevant and valuable, one must consistently challenge themselves, learn new skills, and take on different perspectives, ensuring they stay current and adaptable in a rapidly changing world.


"It's about the journey more than the destination."

The quote emphasizes that it is more important to focus on and learn from the process or journey, rather than solely fixating on the end result or destination. It encourages a mindset of growth and self-discovery through experiences and challenges, rather than being solely results-oriented. This perspective can foster resilience, adaptability, and personal fulfillment in one's life and pursuits.


"Music has an inherent freedom to it that I feel is a very necessary component in our lives."

This quote by Meshell Ndegeocello emphasizes the essential role of music in our lives, highlighting its inherent freedom as a crucial element for personal growth and wellbeing. Music, with its ability to transcend boundaries and constraints, offers an escape, expression, and exploration that nurtures our souls, fostering creativity, empathy, and emotional resilience. In essence, the quote suggests that music is not just entertainment but a vital tool for human flourishing.


"I was never trying to fit into one box or another, and I still don't try to do that. The world does that for me sometimes."

This quote emphasizes Meshell Ndegeocello's individuality and creative freedom. By stating she doesn't try to fit into one specific category or genre, she expresses her intention to explore various artistic expressions without being confined by labels or expectations from others. However, she acknowledges that the world sometimes forces these categories upon her, perhaps implying a struggle with being pigeonholed based on societal perceptions rather than her own self-expression.


I stopped beating up on myself. I stopped asking myself why I didn't sell this number of records, why I don't have corporate sponsorship. I just don't buy into any of that anymore.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Asking, Records, Stopped, Beating

I think leaders are incapable of the strength that passive resistance entails.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Think, I Think, Entails, Incapable

Definitely dub is in my body forever. I think I hear everything through a dub filter. Even when I play rock music, I play through a dub filter.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Play, Think, Through, Filter

I joke that a person of color would never make a movie like 'Midnight in Paris.' Nostalgia isn't so enticing.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Color, Nostalgia, Midnight, Enticing

I'm becoming more and more apolitical - I think the most revolutionary thing you can do is just live your life and have a good time. Before they scoop you up on the street or you die.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Die, Think, I Think, Apolitical

I think secretly I've realized after my time on the planet that I have no control over what people feel about me or need from me, so I just have a more laid-back approach in my apologies.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Feel, I Think, About, Apology

I find myself wanting to make music at the dining room table or in the bedroom - I'm kind of a mobile writer, so I sort of move around the house. But the attic is definitely where I can make the most noise. While everyone on the lower floors screams 'Earthquake!' But no! It's just my bass!

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Wanting, Around, While, Table

I watch documentaries for information. I watch films to be entertained.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Watch, Films, Documentaries, Entertained

Music is my only guide. I don't care if people pigeonhole me. Miles Davis is my hero. He covered Cindy Lauper and Michael Jackson, and he didn't give a hoot about what the purists said.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Hero, Miles, About, None

God looks out for fools and babies.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

God, Looks, Babies, Fools

My father was a jazz tenor sax player. He played in a lot of big bands. So I had that sound around me all the time. The first record that really caught my ear was Clifford Brown's 'Brownie Eyes.' I grew up listening to John Coltrane and Illinois Jacquet. This is where I come from... I love improvisational music.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Love, Big, Caught, Sax

My greatest influence is Jimi Hendrix, and if he's been reincarnated, or if he's looking down, sideways, or looking up, I just wanted to tell him that I love him and thank him for opening doors for me. I just wanted to make it beautiful for him.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Love, Tell, Been, Hendrix

It's very limiting to us as a species, the concept of better-than/less-than. It just seems to be at its end. I'm like, this all fades to black, and it's gone. It's dust. Choose carefully what you obsess about.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Like, Very, Obsess, Limiting

Once you encounter people who are really testing the limits of kindness, that's when you start to build up a shield and close yourself down.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Start, Testing, Shield, Limits

It's hard being bisexual, omnisexual, multisexual, whatever you want to call it, when people have their agenda and expect you to just represent their agenda.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Want, Bisexual, Being, Represent

There's no hierarchy in suffering. I think songs that are transcendent are the ones where everyone can feel something from it, you know?

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Think, Everyone, I Think, Transcendent

Yes, violence begets more violence, but historically this has been the way of the world.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

World, Yes, Been, Begets

We're all just bags of bones and muscle and hormones; I'll never understand what makes our minds do the things we do. It's like that statue of the monkey holding a skull. We're trying to use a thing we don't understand to understand ourselves.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Monkey, Hormones, Bags, Skull

I'm a true believer that unless you're Prince or Stevie Wonder - and even Prince is showing that he needs help - not everybody can produce themselves. I'm definitely not that person.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Needs, Everybody, Stevie, Prince

My favorite period is when we lived in the land of the three-minute song. The Motown thing - I thought they were genius in knowing that's as much as a listener can take.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Song, Thought, Period, Motown

Children are born with their own optimism. They have a clarity and a simplicity that we can only wish for.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Children, Optimism, Wish, Clarity

You make a choice to make music or be an actor, and people automatically think they can have access to your life.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Music, Think, Actor, Automatically

I'm always tryin' to do something new, tryin' to look like a beginner.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

New, Always, Like, Beginner

Allow the artist to finish the piece of work before you critique it.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Artist, Allow, Piece, Finish

I'm pushing ahead on my own - you no longer need a large record company to make you a star.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Star, Need, Large, Record Company

Any ideas of 'other' are complicated, and otherness is relative to personal ideas of 'normal.'

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Ideas, Normal, Other, Complicated

Not to be a Bible-thumper, but there really is nothing new under the sun.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

New, Nothing, Nothing New, Sun

I just try to tell a story with a song, and be able to try to transmit the emotion to you. That's all I'm really trying to do.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Song, Tell, Really, Transmit

I love children. I'd prefer to be around children much more than adults, actually. And I like animals, too. I'm just really into beings who are at ease with themselves.

- Meshell Ndegeocello

Love, Like, Prefer, Ease

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