Success turns a lot of people off. I have a pretty solid sense of joy and respect that irritates people and can irritate me too.
Yes I have made a lot of money and I have a lot of respect my films have done well and I know there are loads of loads of people who look up to me and really love me. I really just thought this is like a strange dream. I have never thought this is a success - I don't have a standard.
Hip-hop is more about attaining wealth. People respect success. They respect big. They don't even have to like your music. If you're big enough people are drawn to you.
To get down to the quick of it respect motivates me - not success.
We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean... and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.
Think about all the great leaders. Think about Obama. Think about Clinton. Think about Nelson Mandela. Think about all the people that we know who are very successful in business in politics and religion. What are they? They tell purposeful stories. They move people to action by aiming at the heart.
I found it interesting that as people become more technically oriented all over the world at the same time people are becoming increasingly spiritual. The success of the Da Vinci code - even though it was a great yawn - also showed people's interest in religion.
My brother and I had a real love-hate relationship with my success. There was some bitterness there that I didn't understand until recently but I told him that if I ever did a record I wanted him to play on it.
The key to successful missionary work is a close relationship between the missionaries and the members. Creating an environment in working with members that will bring more into the Church.
But it's much more exciting to make Die Hard. One of the reasons that I think that movie is so successful is it deals with those very important blue-collar relationship themes. But it's more visually beautiful to show things blowing up. It just gives you more on the screen.