My family has always had Cape Verdean pride but I don't think it was something the kids in the family necessarily understood. However, I was very conscious of the fact that both sides of my family were drastically different and my aunts, cousins, and uncles varied in different shades of brown.

All music now is influenced by Hip Hop. It's so deeply ingrained in the culture.

I soak up personalities and energy. I can identify with anything because truthfully everything that makes up the world is characterized in some way in my family I feel, so my empathy is strong for mankind in general.

I think I unknowingly seek people who are better than me in the sense of strength and wisdom. It's like I've got to know and trust that you have the answers and that you can carry me if needed.

I think friends are an extension of you and I always say, check out a persons five immediate friends and you'll know everything about them.

I admire many women that have come before me, heavy influencers such as Oprah, such as Beyoncé, and I'm witnessing the fruit of their work and experiencing their legacy now and they're not even close to the finish line.

I refuse to accept the idea that money is evil. People make things evil and negative. Some people love what money can do and therefore would do anything to get it, they love the power, they chase it, while others understand what money can do, therefore they do what's in their hearts, they understand the influence and attract it.