I had to appreciate other things about music, like the writing and the cadence and dealing with producers. I became a student. I wanted to learn the actual idea of what this industry was before I could creatively speak a lot of the things that I wanted to speak.

The same people neglecting and hating are the ones going through issues in their own lives, and they're scared to face that.

I grew up in the dance school my mother owned, and I see everything in body shapes, everything visual.

I've always loved literature, and the best books I read were always trilogies.

I like to make people dream and think and imagine and learn and study. Nowadays, music is so literal - it's telling you, "This is how it is," and my music's the opposite. I come from an era where lyrics were full of imagery and metaphor, and that's all I know.

I've only covered a few songs because I feel that if you're not going to go beyond the original artist in some way, then don't disrespect what they created.

Even in independent music, people push towards radio. It is very political.