When I was five years old, me and my cousin got into a fistfight because when "That's the Way (I Like It)" came on the radio, he said, "That's my song," and I said, "No, that's my song."

Sometimes it takes time to get into what ideas actually mean to you. Even when you're not writing a song, it's like that.

I thought there were too many songs about people's personal lives.

I was an avowed professional revolutionary by the time I was 15.

I lived in Detroit until I was six. My older sister was living with us, and she listened to the Ohio Players and Stevie Wonder, so I grew up listening to stuff like that.

What I'm trying to do is make music that people relate to, that talks about ideas that are personal but also make that connection to trying to make revolutionary change, and I don't need to change my music to get to a certain audience.

It's usually important to me to get my idea out first because a lot of times my ideas will seem weird to musicians.