Here in Seattle, I'm the most productive I've ever been. I don't allow myself personal distractions. I'm extremely disciplined here.

I'm creative; I'm not re-creative.

My work sometimes can be abstract and appear not to have a direct relationship to Afro-American concerns, but, in fact, it is based on that.

My concerns have been about myself and not about giving something back and putting something in, even though that's been in the back of my head.

I don't follow what everybody else does.

I thought that I would like to be affiliated with some school or institution. As time went on, I also decided on the subject that I wanted to get involved with in addition to music: it was Black Studies.

I can take any series of numbers and turn it into music, from Bach to bebop, Herbie Hancock to hip-hop.