It is a fight and struggle to just be yourself.
I always say, "When you know it's right, everything will fall into place."
I've never killed anyone but I've felt the emotion
I really wanted my music to reflect my personal life and what I set out to do every day.
If people wanted to fight me-because of my hair or because my skin was too dark-then I fought them
I would sit in the back at church every Sunday trying to hide, and just when I thought I'd gotten through the service without her [grandmother] calling on me to sing 'His Eye Is On The Sparrow,' she'd always call me up
It was important that this album [Chain Letter] was an accurate reflection of me
You never get another first time. I just remember being excited and that feeling of "Wow my dream is really coming true".
I like to go into the studio and let things happen. I like to just let the session take on. I don't want to have to clock in at nine and end at eight. That's just not me, that's not how my creativity flows.
Rarely a producer gives me music and I write to it. I think that's too easy. Most of the time for me, it's on an elevator or in my car listening to absolutely nothing. I'll just be driving and then the lyrics birth.
When you're listening to my album, I want you to know that things happen and eventually you get over it
I remember the excitement of being a new artist. When up and coming artists ask me like, "Any advice you have for me?" I always say, "Take it all in because you'll never be a new artist again".
