After I wrote yesterday's article on lessons for success from KISS's Paul Stanley, I had a couple of tweets back and forth with his interviewer, Lee Hawkins (who also happens to be a musician himself) from the Wall Street Journal.

This morning Lee sent me another new interview which he thought I might be interested in with Cee-Lo Green, star judge of NBC's hit show 'The Voice' and the man behind such smash hits as Crazy and Fuck You!

Both interviews feature honest, straight-up talk on the business of music and current industry trends. Once again, there are some great takeaways for not only fellow musicians, but also for anyone living and pursuing a creative life.


These sound-bytes are as relevant to an entrepreneur as they are to any artist:

"I think people (artists) would much rather make ends meet than make history".

"Integrity is my business. It's my brand. It's what I represent, it's my natural resource. It's abundant in my heart and in my actions. As long as my intentions are good, as long as they're golden, I'll always have 100% of my power and influence. I'm not here to just fit in, I'm here to make a difference. This is more than music. More than mere entertainment. It's a mission."

"I am waging war against monotony and mediocrity."

"Quality is my first concern."

"Our ADD generation doesn't want to think, they want to feel…. they want a means of escape. A lot of music is made to be generic and for general purpose."

"True art isn't meant to be understood by everyone."
—Cee-Lo Green

So… what's your take away?
Does Cee-Lo's opinion on art, business and life change the way you approach your passion?

Watch the full interview here:

Tags: Cee-Lo Green | Interview | Wall Street Journal | Lee Hawkins | Video | Inspiration | Branding