Chris Brown is brilliant. That cat is crazy brilliant, and I wish him the best.

I used to sing at funeral homes for families that didn't have a vocalist. I didn't get paid. I needed to sing.

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

I'd love to be the political voice of my generation, but that's not my gift.

I'm picking and choosing in terms of the stress factor. If it's not fun, I'm not going to do it.

I'm used to getting up at 7, getting breakfast, getting the kids off to school, and doing the mommy thing and the wife thing and the daughter thing.

If you have your own agenda and your own style and you don't easily conform to what the masses are doing, you're looked upon as being difficult. Whereas, I think of it as just being an individual.