I need my career. That's what validates me.

I dont think being black has held me back at all. Being black makes you strong.

You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family.

I don't even have voice mail, and people get all out of shape about that. But, you know what, I don't want to transcribe your message; I want to talk to you. And that kind of freaks people out a bit. They go, 'Oh, who has time to talk?' and I'm like, 'Well, I'm gonna make time.

I would say that my peak was making my first million at the ripe age of 29, after the first album.

Completeness? Happiness? These words don't come close to describing my emotions. There truly is nothing I can say to capture what motherhood means to me, particularly given my medical history.

When you're away for a long time, tastes change, fans move on. You hate to think about it, but it's an ugly fact of life.