Time has nothing to do with the gifts that the gods give you; it's what you do.

I don't let people use me. That's why I like a small number of people in my life. The more people in my life, the more complex it becomes, so I just try to keep it at a minimum.

I think there's no sacrifice too great for family, whether it's career, singing, whatever.

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

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

My father worked on assembly lines in Detroit while I was growing up. Every day, I watched him do what he needed to do to support the family. But he told me, 'Life is short. Do what you want to do.'

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